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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — a tin
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mug — a face
  7. can — to be able to
  8. wound — an injury
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. wound — an injury
  14. mug — a cup
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. lean — to bend
  17. mine — for digging
  18. bat — the animal
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. kick — in football
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. lean — thin

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