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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. drill — the tool
  3. can — a tin
  4. present — the time now
  5. snap — to click
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. present — a gift
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. cap — of ice
  12. present — there
  13. cap — a lid
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. mine — for digging
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. cap — a hat
  22. drill — army training
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. drill — a practice

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