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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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. cap — a lid
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. stock — shares
  6. scale — size or range
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. rash — hasty
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. can — a tin
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. scale — in music
  18. bear — the animal
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. stock — goods
  23. cap — of ice
  24. rash — a series

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