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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 124 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. net — for catching
  4. snap — to click
  5. vault — a safe
  6. rest — what's left
  7. pitch — completely
  8. can — a tin
  9. net — after costs
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. net — in sport
  13. rest — what's left
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. rest — a break
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. hand — help
  21. hand — in cards
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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