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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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. ground — crushed
  4. cue — a signal
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. rock — a stone
  7. kid — to tease
  8. ground — the earth
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. kid — child
  11. sharp — clever
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. cue — for pool
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rock — music
  16. spring — the season
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. can — to be able to
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. spring — a coil
  21. cue — a hint
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. spring — of water
  24. ground — a position

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