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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. suit — in cards
  3. can — a tin
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. squash — the sport
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bass — low music
  10. suit — to fit
  11. squash — to crush
  12. suit — clothes
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. can — a tin
  23. snap — to click
  24. mark — a trace

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