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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 hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. can — to be able to
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. can — a tin
  8. spring — the season
  9. spring — a coil
  10. can — a tin
  11. mine — for digging
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. suit — to fit
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. spring — of water
  18. suit — in cards
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. snap — to click
  24. suit — clothes

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