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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. deal — to handle
  4. craft — boats
  5. can — a tin
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. can — a tin
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. band — a music group
  14. last — finally
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. last — to go on
  18. craft — a skill
  19. last — final
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. band — a ring
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. racket — for tennis

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