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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. stem — to come from
  3. saw — the tool
  4. charge — in control
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. wound — an injury
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. can — to be able to
  11. wound — an injury
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. can — a tin
  14. deal — to handle
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — electricity
  17. last — to go on
  18. last — final
  19. saw — the tool
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. last — finally
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. deal — an agreement

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