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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. can — a tin
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — to drop
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. cap — a lid
  8. can — to be able to
  9. fork — in a road
  10. fall — the season
  11. dip — to sink
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — in cards
  14. cap — a hat
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wake — a trail
  17. cap — of ice
  18. saw — the tool
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. can — a tin
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. dip — a sauce

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