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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. cell — a phone
  3. can — to be able to
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. press — a publisher
  8. can — a tin
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. press — to push
  11. press — newspapers
  12. squash — the sport
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. saw — the tool
  15. cell — in biology
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. march — music
  18. saw — the tool
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. march — the month
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. squash — to crush
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. march — the month

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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