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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. deal — to handle
  6. mate — a friend
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. ball — a dance
  10. mate — a partner
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. can — to be able to
  14. wind — moving air
  15. ball — a great time
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bore — to drill
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — a tin
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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