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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. can — to be able to
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. can — a tin
  10. board — to get on
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. board — a committee
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. tube — the underground
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. rush — hurry
  17. march — the month
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. march — music
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. march — the month
  22. tube — a container
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. tube — in a tire

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