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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — to visit
  4. plane — a tool
  5. net — in sport
  6. can — to be able to
  7. last — to go on
  8. can — a tin
  9. snap — to click
  10. tube — the underground
  11. rest — what's left
  12. last — final
  13. net — for catching
  14. tube — a container
  15. net — after costs
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pop — music
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. rest — a break
  24. last — finally

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