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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 shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. band — a ring
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. mate — a friend
  6. rush — hurry
  7. vault — a safe
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. mate — to breed
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. mate — a partner
  13. can — a tin
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. can — to be able to
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. pound — a weight
  24. band — a music group

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