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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. roll — a list
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bass — low music
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. can — a tin
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. pit — in a race
  13. present — the time now
  14. present — there
  15. plane — a tool
  16. pit — a hole
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. roll — a cake
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. snap — to click
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. present — a gift

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