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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. can — to be able to
  4. lean — thin
  5. bound — certain
  6. lean — to bend
  7. mark — a grade
  8. band — a music group
  9. chip — for betting
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. band — a ring
  12. chip — to eat
  13. rush — hurry
  14. mark — a trace
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. bound — tied together
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. can — a tin
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bound — obliged
  24. rush — a thrill

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