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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ball — a great time
  4. bank — for money
  5. bat — the animal
  6. can — to be able to
  7. lean — thin
  8. can — a tin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. ball — a dance
  14. bank — of a river
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rule — government
  17. bank — for money
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bark — to shout
  20. rule — a law
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. lean — to bend
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bark — of a tree

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