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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 took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. mug — to rob
  4. track — to keep track
  5. track — a song
  6. bear — the animal
  7. mug — a face
  8. bear — the animal
  9. spell — a short time
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. can — to be able to
  14. track — a path
  15. spell — letters
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. mug — a cup
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. spell — magic
  24. nail — for a hammer

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