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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. board — to get on
  4. can — a tin
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. scale — in music
  7. mug — a cup
  8. fall — to drop
  9. last — final
  10. can — a tin
  11. mug — to rob
  12. firm — steady
  13. last — finally
  14. firm — a company
  15. board — a committee
  16. firm — decided
  17. fall — the season
  18. mug — a face
  19. scale — size or range
  20. last — to go on
  21. can — to be able to
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. hand — in cards
  24. fall — to drop

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