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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. clip — for paper
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. shower — rain
  7. can — to be able to
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bore — to drill
  10. lie — to recline
  11. bore — to tire
  12. shower — to wash
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. ground — a position
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. ground — crushed
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. ground — the earth
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. clip — to cut
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. can — a tin
  23. clip — a video
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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