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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — a tin
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. key — in music
  6. track — a path
  7. key — the most important part
  8. cap — a hat
  9. rash — a series
  10. roll — a list
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. key — for a lock
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. can — to be able to
  18. track — to keep track
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. roll — a cake
  21. track — a song
  22. rash — hasty
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. cap — a lid

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