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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. shower — to wash
  6. can — to be able to
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wake — a trail
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. can — a tin
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. ground — the earth
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. kid — to tease
  17. shower — rain
  18. tube — a container
  19. ground — a position
  20. tube — the underground
  21. rush — hurry
  22. kid — child
  23. ground — crushed
  24. rush — to hurry

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