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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 124 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. mate — a friend
  3. land — a country
  4. spell — letters
  5. can — to be able to
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. spell — magic
  8. spell — a short time
  9. mate — a partner
  10. roll — a cake
  11. wax — to grow
  12. can — a tin
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. land — to come down
  18. roll — a list
  19. mate — to breed
  20. land — ground
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. mouse — the animal

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