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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bound — certain
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. march — the month
  5. can — to be able to
  6. bound — obliged
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. can — a tin
  10. band — a ring
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. march — music
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mine — for digging
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mate — to breed
  18. dip — to sink
  19. march — the month
  20. bound — tied together
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. mate — a friend
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. band — a music group

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