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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. cold — an illness
  3. present — a gift
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. cold — not warm
  6. can — to be able to
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. can — a tin
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. present — there
  14. present — the time now
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. cold — the Cold War

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