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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 124 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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. can — a tin
  3. key — in music
  4. squash — the sport
  5. key — for a lock
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. key — the most important part
  9. branch — a division
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. rush — hurry
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bound — obliged
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. squash — to crush
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. can — to be able to
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. can — a tin
  23. bound — certain
  24. bound — tied together

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