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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. capital — money
  3. can — a tin
  4. bat — the animal
  5. can — a tin
  6. mug — a face
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. rest — what's left
  9. shower — rain
  10. mug — a cup
  11. suit — in cards
  12. shower — to wash
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. mug — to rob
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. suit — to fit
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. sharp — clever
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. capital — a city
  22. can — to be able to
  23. rest — what's left
  24. suit — clothes

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