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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. rush — hurry
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. cell — in biology
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pop — soda
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. cell — a phone
  12. clip — for paper
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pop — music
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. clip — to cut
  17. can — a tin
  18. pop — to visit
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. can — to be able to
  23. clip — a video
  24. bowl — a football final

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