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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. can — to be able to
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. rock — music
  5. file — a document
  6. can — a tin
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. file — a tool
  10. snap — to click
  11. can — a tin
  12. rock — a stone
  13. band — a music group
  14. file — a line of people
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. saw — the tool
  20. band — a ring
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. band — a rubber band

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