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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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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: deal · can · ground · lean · sharp · race · tube · kick

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. ground — crushed
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. ground — the earth
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. kick — in football
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. can — a tin
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. sharp — clever
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. race — a contest
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. tube — a container
  16. tube — the underground
  17. lean — thin
  18. lean — to bend
  19. can — to be able to
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. ground — a position
  22. deal — to handle
  23. race — humankind
  24. race — the arms race

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