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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 116 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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. kick — in football
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. can — a tin
  5. bass — the fish
  6. cell — in biology
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. can — a tin
  10. scale — size or range
  11. snap — to click
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. bass — low music
  16. ground — a position
  17. scale — in music
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. cell — a phone
  20. ground — the earth
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. ground — crushed
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. kick — with a leg

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