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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. season — in sport
  4. season — of the year
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. suit — clothes
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. suit — to fit
  12. suit — in cards
  13. can — a tin
  14. bat — the animal
  15. mine — for digging
  16. can — to be able to
  17. dip — to sink
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. tear — from crying
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. tear — from crying
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. tear — to rip

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