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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. drill — a practice
  3. can — a tin
  4. kid — child
  5. last — to go on
  6. drill — the tool
  7. object — a thing
  8. last — final
  9. can — a tin
  10. lean — thin
  11. drill — army training
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. object — an aim
  16. object — to protest
  17. press — to push
  18. prune — to trim
  19. press — newspapers
  20. last — finally
  21. prune — to trim
  22. press — a publisher
  23. kid — to tease
  24. prune — the fruit

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