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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 120 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 shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. can — a tin
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. club — for dancing
  5. rest — what's left
  6. can — a tin
  7. rest — a break
  8. club — for golf
  9. club — a group
  10. cap — a hat
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. cap — of ice
  13. lie — to recline
  14. rest — what's left
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. rash — a series
  17. can — to be able to
  18. rash — hasty
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. rush — hurry
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. cap — a lid

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