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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 120 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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. mate — a friend
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. can — a tin
  5. file — a tool
  6. mate — to breed
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. mate — a partner
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bank — for money
  12. can — to be able to
  13. sharp — clever
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. ground — crushed
  16. bank — for money
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. file — a document
  19. ground — the earth
  20. cell — in biology
  21. bank — of a river
  22. file — a line of people
  23. ground — a position
  24. cell — a phone

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