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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 124 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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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. cap — a lid
  4. cap — of ice
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. spring — a coil
  7. cap — a hat
  8. craft — boats
  9. spring — of water
  10. row — to paddle
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. wake — a trail
  15. march — music
  16. march — the month
  17. spring — the season
  18. craft — a skill
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. can — to be able to
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. row — a line
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. march — the month

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