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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. game — a match
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. suit — in cards
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. suit — to fit
  7. bark — to shout
  8. can — a tin
  9. suit — clothes
  10. snap — to click
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. can — to be able to
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. lean — thin
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. game — a kind of play

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