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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. can — to be able to
  3. march — music
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. can — a tin
  6. march — the month
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. net — for catching
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. march — the month
  12. wake — a trail
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. saw — the tool
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. drill — a practice
  19. can — a tin
  20. net — after costs
  21. drill — the tool
  22. drill — army training
  23. net — in sport
  24. hide — to keep secret

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