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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. kid — child
  3. cell — in biology
  4. march — the month
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. march — music
  7. staff — a stick
  8. staff — employees
  9. wound — an injury
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. current — of water
  14. cell — a phone
  15. staff — employees
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. current — electric
  18. kid — to tease
  19. march — the month
  20. season — of the year
  21. current — happening now
  22. can — to be able to
  23. can — a tin
  24. wound — an injury

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