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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. cap — a hat
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. track — a song
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. track — a path
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. snap — to click
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. can — to be able to
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. wound — an injury
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. track — to keep track
  17. can — a tin
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. cap — a lid
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. wound — an injury
  23. cap — of ice
  24. jam — a tight spot

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