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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wake — a trail
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. can — a tin
  7. cap — a lid
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. cap — of ice
  11. vault — a safe
  12. rash — a series
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. band — a ring
  18. wax — to grow
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. band — a music group
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. rash — hasty
  23. can — to be able to
  24. cap — a hat

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