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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 120 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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. board — to get on
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — a tin
  6. wind — moving air
  7. pop — to visit
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. board — a committee
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. pop — soda
  13. hand — in cards
  14. wind — moving air
  15. fork — in a road
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. hand — help
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. pop — music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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