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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — to be able to
  4. bear — the animal
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bear — the animal
  8. drill — the tool
  9. land — a country
  10. hand — in cards
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. lean — to bend
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. can — a tin
  15. land — to come down
  16. drill — a practice
  17. hand — help
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. lean — thin
  20. land — ground
  21. saw — the tool
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. snap — to click
  24. drill — army training

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