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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. rash — hasty
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. can — a tin
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. dip — to sink
  8. cold — an illness
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. stand — to bear
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. rash — a series
  14. perch — the fish
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. cold — not warm
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. fan — to cool the air

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