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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. can — a tin
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. can — to be able to
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a hat
  8. scale — size or range
  9. stand — to bear
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. drill — the tool
  12. net — in sport
  13. net — after costs
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. cap — a lid
  16. drill — army training
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. branch — a division
  20. drill — a practice
  21. net — for catching
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. scale — in music
  24. can — a tin

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