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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. spring — the season
  5. bound — obliged
  6. spring — a coil
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. shower — rain
  12. bank — for money
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. can — a tin
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bound — certain
  18. bank — of a river
  19. spring — of water
  20. bank — for money
  21. prune — to trim
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bound — tied together
  24. shower — to wash

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