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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  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. object — to protest
  3. scale — size or range
  4. plane — a tool
  5. dip — to sink
  6. rule — a law
  7. lean — thin
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. rule — government
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. object — an aim
  15. shower — rain
  16. object — a thing
  17. can — to be able to
  18. lean — to bend
  19. shower — to wash
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. can — a tin
  22. scale — in music
  23. rule — to rule out
  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