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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: can · cell · bat · scale · tear · tube · mouse · last

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. can — a tin
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tear — from crying
  9. last — to go on
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. tube — the underground
  13. can — to be able to
  14. scale — size or range
  15. tear — to rip
  16. cell — in biology
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. tube — a container
  19. scale — in music
  20. cell — a phone
  21. tear — from crying
  22. can — a tin
  23. last — final
  24. last — finally

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