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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. drill — army training
  3. sharp — clever
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. hand — help
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. kick — in football
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. drill — the tool
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. can — a tin
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. hand — in cards
  21. can — to be able to
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. drill — a practice
  24. can — a tin

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