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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. march — music
  4. can — a tin
  5. rest — what's left
  6. chest — a box
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. march — the month
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. chest — of your body
  11. snap — to click
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. chest — of your body
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. rest — a break
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. march — the month
  21. sharp — clever
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. foot — a measure
  24. rest — what's left

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