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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 124 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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. can — to be able to
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. pop — to visit
  5. can — a tin
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. can — a tin
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. deal — to handle
  11. pop — music
  12. bear — the animal
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. file — a tool
  16. pit — in a race
  17. file — a line of people
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. pop — soda
  20. toast — bread
  21. file — a document
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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