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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 116 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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. ground — the earth
  5. mate — a partner
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. mate — to breed
  8. ground — a position
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. mate — a friend
  11. can — a tin
  12. ball — a dance
  13. file — a document
  14. can — to be able to
  15. file — a tool
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. chair — a leader
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. ground — crushed
  21. snap — to click
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. file — a line of people
  24. ball — a great time

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