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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. lean — thin
  3. can — to be able to
  4. saw — the tool
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. lean — to bend
  7. can — a tin
  8. cold — not warm
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. firm — decided
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. firm — steady
  14. bank — for money
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. firm — a company
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. cold — an illness
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — of a river
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. wax — to grow

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