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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. content — the amount
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. file — a tool
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. wound — an injury
  9. file — a line of people
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. object — an aim
  15. can — a tin
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. content — happy
  18. object — to protest
  19. wound — an injury
  20. file — a document
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. object — a thing
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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