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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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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. kid — to tease
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. hand — help
  7. bear — the animal
  8. can — a tin
  9. kid — child
  10. mug — a face
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. pound — a weight
  13. hand — in cards
  14. charge — electricity
  15. plane — a tool
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. charge — in control
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. charge — a price
  21. can — a tin
  22. mug — a cup
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. mug — to rob

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