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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. ground — the earth
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fine — all right
  7. saw — the tool
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. staff — employees
  10. can — to be able to
  11. fall — the season
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fall — to drop
  15. saw — the tool
  16. kick — in football
  17. staff — employees
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. ground — a position
  21. can — a tin
  22. fine — high quality
  23. ground — crushed
  24. staff — a stick

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