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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bass — the fish
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. can — to be able to
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. land — a country
  10. plane — a tool
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. bass — low music
  13. land — ground
  14. spell — letters
  15. land — to come down
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. spell — magic
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. spell — a short time
  22. rash — hasty
  23. can — a tin
  24. rash — a series

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