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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. can — a tin
  4. lean — thin
  5. can — a tin
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. saw — the tool
  8. kid — child
  9. date — the fruit
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. can — to be able to
  15. saw — the tool
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mug — a cup
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. lean — to bend
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. mug — a face
  24. date — on the calendar

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