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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 120 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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. rock — a stone
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. rock — music
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. wound — an injury
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. spring — a coil
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. can — to be able to
  11. kid — child
  12. wound — an injury
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. charge — electricity
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. kid — to tease
  19. spring — of water
  20. spring — the season
  21. charge — in control
  22. can — a tin
  23. charge — a price
  24. safe — a strongbox

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