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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. squash — the sport
  3. can — to be able to
  4. can — a tin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. wound — an injury
  7. charge — a price
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. can — a tin
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. capital — money
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. capital — a city
  17. charge — electricity
  18. charge — in control
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. wax — to grow
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. squash — to crush
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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