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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. present — there
  3. can — a tin
  4. object — a thing
  5. pop — music
  6. hand — in cards
  7. present — the time now
  8. content — happy
  9. content — the amount
  10. can — a tin
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. hand — help
  14. pop — to visit
  15. snap — to click
  16. pop — soda
  17. object — to protest
  18. mug — a face
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. object — an aim
  21. mug — a cup
  22. present — a gift
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. mug — to rob

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