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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. pop — to visit
  6. can — to be able to
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. land — ground
  9. squash — to crush
  10. land — to come down
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. pop — music
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. can — a tin
  17. snap — to click
  18. squash — the sport
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. pop — soda
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. can — a tin
  23. land — a country
  24. bear — the animal

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