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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. can — a tin
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. can — a tin
  5. last — finally
  6. tube — the underground
  7. foot — a measure
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. rash — a series
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. capital — money
  15. spell — letters
  16. last — final
  17. tube — a container
  18. last — to go on
  19. rash — hasty
  20. spell — a short time
  21. capital — a city
  22. dip — to sink
  23. can — to be able to
  24. spell — magic

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