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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — to be able to
  4. fine — all right
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. hand — help
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. rest — what's left
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. fine — high quality
  22. rest — a break
  23. pound — a weight
  24. hand — in cards

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