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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. saw — the tool
  3. can — a tin
  4. staff — a stick
  5. last — final
  6. march — the month
  7. can — to be able to
  8. last — to go on
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. tube — a container
  11. march — the month
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. last — finally
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. staff — employees
  16. tube — the underground
  17. press — to push
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. march — music
  20. press — newspapers
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. press — a publisher
  23. staff — employees
  24. saw — the tool

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