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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. suit — to fit
  3. fall — the season
  4. can — a tin
  5. land — to come down
  6. press — newspapers
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. land — ground
  9. fall — to drop
  10. can — to be able to
  11. fall — to drop
  12. wax — to grow
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. deal — to handle
  15. suit — in cards
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. land — a country
  18. band — a ring
  19. band — a music group
  20. press — to push
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. press — a publisher
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. suit — clothes

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