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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. bass — low music
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mate — a partner
  7. date — the fruit
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. can — a tin
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. drill — the tool
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bass — the fish
  17. spell — a short time
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. drill — army training
  20. mate — to breed
  21. drill — a practice
  22. spell — letters
  23. spell — magic
  24. date — on the calendar

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