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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. firm — a company
  3. shower — to wash
  4. plane — a tool
  5. wake — a trail
  6. firm — steady
  7. firm — decided
  8. mate — to breed
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. mate — a friend
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. season — of the year
  15. can — a tin
  16. shower — rain
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. mate — a partner
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. can — a tin
  22. season — in sport
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. trunk — of a tree

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