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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  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. cabinet — ministers
  3. suit — to fit
  4. field — a subject
  5. can — a tin
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. suit — in cards
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. race — the arms race
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. sharp — clever
  15. wax — to grow
  16. field — farmland
  17. can — to be able to
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. race — a contest
  20. field — for sport
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. race — humankind
  23. suit — clothes
  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