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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. row — a line
  3. chest — a box
  4. pop — to visit
  5. face — to point toward
  6. season — in sport
  7. row — to paddle
  8. pop — soda
  9. face — part of the head
  10. can — a tin
  11. chest — of your body
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. key — in music
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. can — a tin
  17. key — for a lock
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pop — music
  20. key — the most important part
  21. chest — of your body
  22. face — to confront
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. row — a quarrel

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