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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bore — to tire
  3. plane — a tool
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. can — a tin
  7. mark — a grade
  8. chest — of your body
  9. mark — a trace
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. can — to be able to
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. bore — to drill
  15. rule — government
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — a box
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. rule — a law
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. bore — gave birth

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