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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 120 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. can — to be able to
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cap — a hat
  9. pop — to visit
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — of your body
  12. can — a tin
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. pop — music
  16. cap — of ice
  17. spell — letters
  18. spell — magic
  19. chest — a box
  20. spell — a short time
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. can — a tin
  23. pop — soda
  24. coach — a trainer

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