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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. spring — a coil
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. track — to keep track
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. pound — a weight
  8. saw — the tool
  9. rest — a break
  10. can — a tin
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. spring — of water
  13. rest — what's left
  14. track — a song
  15. can — to be able to
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. spring — the season
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. rest — what's left
  22. track — a path
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. ruler — for measuring

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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