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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 120 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. land — to come down
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. present — a gift
  6. cue — for pool
  7. can — a tin
  8. lie — to recline
  9. cue — a signal
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. land — ground
  12. present — the time now
  13. land — a country
  14. spell — a short time
  15. present — there
  16. can — a tin
  17. cap — a hat
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. spell — letters
  20. cap — a lid
  21. spell — magic
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. cue — a hint
  24. cap — of ice

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