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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. cap — of ice
  3. march — music
  4. hand — help
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. rest — a break
  7. march — the month
  8. row — a line
  9. can — to be able to
  10. hand — in cards
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. can — a tin
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. cap — a hat
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. club — for golf
  18. cap — a lid
  19. rest — what's left
  20. row — to paddle
  21. club — for dancing
  22. march — the month
  23. rest — what's left
  24. club — a group

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