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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. tube — a container
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mug — a face
  5. can — a tin
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. object — to protest
  9. branch — a division
  10. object — a thing
  11. can — a tin
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. can — to be able to
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. object — an aim
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mug — a cup
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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