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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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468
Word bank
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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  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. pitcher — a jug
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. can — to be able to
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. fork — in a road
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. press — to push
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — newspapers
  18. bore — to tire
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. bore — to drill
  21. snap — to click
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. wave — with your hand
  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