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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. firm — decided
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. can — a tin
  6. chair — a leader
  7. hand — help
  8. lie — to recline
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. tube — the underground
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. tube — a container
  15. can — to be able to
  16. firm — steady
  17. hand — in cards
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. firm — a company
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. nail — for a hammer

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