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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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Word bank
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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. dip — to sink
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. present — the time now
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. tube — the underground
  8. present — a gift
  9. rock — music
  10. file — a line of people
  11. tube — a container
  12. game — a match
  13. present — there
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. game — wild animals
  20. file — a document
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. rock — a stone
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. file — a tool

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