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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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. pit — in a race
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. scale — size or range
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. tear — from crying
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. mate — a partner
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. tear — to rip
  15. rock — a stone
  16. pit — a hole
  17. scale — in music
  18. lean — to bend
  19. mate — a friend
  20. lean — thin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. rock — music
  23. tear — from crying
  24. mate — to breed

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