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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. tube — the underground
  4. can — a tin
  5. shower — rain
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. lean — to bend
  10. can — a tin
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. lean — thin
  14. stock — shares
  15. tube — a container
  16. stock — goods
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. sharp — clever
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. snap — to click
  21. shower — to wash
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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