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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. can — to be able to
  3. rock — music
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. rest — what's left
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. can — a tin
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. mine — for digging
  14. rock — a stone
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. fork — in a road
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. rest — a break
  23. can — a tin
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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