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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. wound — an injury
  3. lean — to bend
  4. mark — a trace
  5. can — to be able to
  6. tear — from crying
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lean — thin
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. ball — a great time
  16. tear — to rip
  17. can — a tin
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. ball — a dance
  22. prune — to trim
  23. wound — an injury
  24. tear — from crying

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