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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. can — a tin
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a dance
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. kid — to tease
  11. kid — child
  12. can — a tin
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. craft — boats
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. squash — to crush
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. craft — a skill
  21. can — to be able to
  22. squash — the sport
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. tube — the underground

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