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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. rash — a series
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. tube — a container
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. object — a thing
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. tube — the underground
  15. spring — the season
  16. can — to be able to
  17. object — an aim
  18. object — to protest
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. can — a tin
  21. spring — a coil
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. spring — of water
  24. rash — hasty

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