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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. can — a tin
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. land — a country
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. ball — a dance
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. lie — to recline
  13. land — ground
  14. land — to come down
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. ball — a great time
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cap — of ice
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. wake — a trail
  22. can — a tin
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. cap — a hat

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