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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. drill — army training
  4. net — for catching
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. can — a tin
  7. net — after costs
  8. sharp — clever
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. drill — a practice
  12. charge — in control
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. drill — the tool
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. can — a tin
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. charge — electricity
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. charge — a price
  23. net — in sport
  24. temple — a place of worship

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