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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. can — a tin
  3. march — the month
  4. file — a line of people
  5. can — a tin
  6. ball — a dance
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cue — for pool
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. lean — to bend
  14. cue — a signal
  15. can — to be able to
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. march — the month
  18. ball — a great time
  19. march — music
  20. rock — a stone
  21. file — a document
  22. lean — thin
  23. rock — music
  24. file — a tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com