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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. spring — a coil
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. rest — what's left
  5. spring — of water
  6. rest — a break
  7. spring — the season
  8. can — to be able to
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. kick — in football
  15. rush — hurry
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. date — the fruit
  19. rest — what's left
  20. can — a tin
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. date — on the calendar

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