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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 120 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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. race — the arms race
  3. pop — music
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pop — soda
  6. race — humankind
  7. cell — in biology
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. wax — to grow
  11. pop — to visit
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. can — a tin
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. race — a contest
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. cell — a phone
  21. can — to be able to
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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