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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 124 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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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. can — a tin
  4. kid — to tease
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. prune — to trim
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. wax — to grow
  15. can — to be able to
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. prune — to trim
  18. foot — a measure
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — a jug

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