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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. can — a tin
  5. wake — a trail
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. season — of the year
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. toast — bread
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. content — happy
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. cap — a hat
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. cap — a lid
  18. rash — hasty
  19. cap — of ice
  20. content — the amount
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. rash — a series

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