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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. bank — of a river
  4. hand — help
  5. net — for catching
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. track — a path
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — for money
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. track — to keep track
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — in sport
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. fork — in a road
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. hand — in cards
  23. can — a tin
  24. track — a song

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