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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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 shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. net — in sport
  5. rush — hurry
  6. can — a tin
  7. key — for a lock
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mine — for digging
  10. can — to be able to
  11. net — after costs
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — to trim
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. key — in music
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. can — a tin
  20. bear — the animal
  21. net — for catching
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. key — the most important part
  24. arm — a part of something

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