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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. kid — child
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bank — for money
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bank — of a river
  11. kid — to tease
  12. can — a tin
  13. cap — a hat
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. snap — to click
  16. can — a tin
  17. mate — a friend
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. bank — for money
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a partner
  22. cap — of ice
  23. row — to paddle
  24. row — a line

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