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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  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. clip — for paper
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. club — for dancing
  5. rest — what's left
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. clip — to cut
  8. sharp — clever
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. can — to be able to
  11. rest — a break
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. foot — a measure
  14. club — for golf
  15. can — a tin
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rest — what's left
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. clip — a video
  21. club — a group
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. rash — hasty
  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