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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. pitch — completely
  7. firm — decided
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. hand — in cards
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — to be able to
  15. firm — a company
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. firm — steady
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. can — a tin
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. wake — a trail
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. leaves — to go away

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