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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 116 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. saw — the tool
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. can — to be able to
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. saw — the tool
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. can — a tin
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. branch — a division
  20. bear — the animal
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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