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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. can — a tin
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. swing — in golf
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. swing — to play on
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. wake — a trail
  10. cap — a hat
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. swing — music
  15. cap — of ice
  16. chair — a leader
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cap — a lid
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. bore — to drill
  24. can — a tin

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