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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mine — for digging
  3. can — a tin
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. tube — a container
  7. can — to be able to
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — in music
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. mug — a face
  13. can — a tin
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. key — for a lock
  16. roll — a list
  17. mug — to rob
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. drill — army training
  20. drill — a practice
  21. roll — a cake
  22. drill — the tool
  23. snap — to click
  24. tube — the underground

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