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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. can — a tin
  4. net — in sport
  5. net — after costs
  6. pass — a permit
  7. drill — the tool
  8. can — to be able to
  9. drill — army training
  10. drill — a practice
  11. fall — to drop
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. root — of a plant
  14. root — of a word
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. net — for catching
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. lie — to recline
  19. band — a ring
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. root — the cause
  22. fall — the season
  23. band — a music group
  24. fall — to drop

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