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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. can — a tin
  5. current — of water
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. can — a tin
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. object — an aim
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. object — to protest
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. staff — employees
  16. wind — moving air
  17. dip — to sink
  18. current — electric
  19. staff — a stick
  20. current — happening now
  21. wind — moving air
  22. staff — employees
  23. object — a thing
  24. wind — to turn a key

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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