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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. can — to be able to
  4. can — a tin
  5. bore — to tire
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. net — for catching
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. hand — in cards
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a song
  13. capital — money
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. hand — help
  16. capital — a city
  17. can — a tin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. net — after costs
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. net — in sport
  23. track — a path
  24. bore — to drill

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