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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. rush — hurry
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. rock — a stone
  5. can — a tin
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. perch — the fish
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. wax — to grow
  11. cap — a hat
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rock — music
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cap — of ice
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. mine — for digging
  24. can — to be able to

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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