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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. shower — to wash
  3. board — to get on
  4. shower — rain
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. can — to be able to
  7. bat — the animal
  8. spell — a short time
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. can — a tin
  15. board — a committee
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. spell — magic
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. spell — letters
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. plane — a tool
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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