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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. spell — a short time
  3. track — a song
  4. track — to keep track
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. bound — certain
  7. spell — magic
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. race — humankind
  10. can — to be able to
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. bound — obliged
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. bound — tied together
  15. can — a tin
  16. track — a path
  17. sharp — clever
  18. spell — letters
  19. race — the arms race
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. race — a contest
  24. trunk — of a car

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