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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. mug — a cup
  6. ball — a dance
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. can — to be able to
  9. hand — help
  10. date — the fruit
  11. mug — to rob
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. branch — a division
  14. ball — a great time
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. mug — a face
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. row — to paddle
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. can — a tin
  23. hand — in cards
  24. row — a line

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