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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 116 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 help me carry this box?
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. squash — to crush
  3. scale — size or range
  4. dip — to sink
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. can — a tin
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. tube — the underground
  12. mate — to breed
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. can — a tin
  15. scale — in music
  16. content — happy
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. mate — a partner
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. mate — a friend
  24. squash — the sport

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