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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. charge — a price
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. saw — the tool
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. shower — to wash
  10. charge — electricity
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bank — for money
  13. charge — in control
  14. shower — rain
  15. stem — to come from
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — of a river
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. can — a tin

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