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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. board — to get on
  4. can — to be able to
  5. tube — the underground
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. swing — in golf
  8. swing — to play on
  9. shower — to wash
  10. rash — a series
  11. tube — a container
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. swing — music
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. board — a committee
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. rash — hasty
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. shower — rain
  23. can — a tin
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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