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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 120 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. rock — music
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. wake — a trail
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. rock — a stone
  10. vault — a safe
  11. chest — of your body
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — to be able to
  14. chest — a box
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. capital — a city
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. bulb — for light
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. chest — of your body
  24. capital — money

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