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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — a tin
  4. squash — to crush
  5. can — to be able to
  6. squash — the sport
  7. staff — employees
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bank — of a river
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. fall — to drop
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bank — for money
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — a stick
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bank — for money
  23. bat — the animal
  24. fall — the season

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