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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. can — a tin
  3. saw — the tool
  4. kid — child
  5. present — there
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. content — the amount
  8. present — a gift
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. kid — to tease
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. can — a tin
  15. spring — of water
  16. can — to be able to
  17. present — the time now
  18. spring — the season
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. content — happy
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. saw — the tool
  23. spring — a coil
  24. wax — to grow

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