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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. net — for catching
  3. scale — size or range
  4. firm — steady
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. suit — clothes
  8. net — after costs
  9. squash — the sport
  10. saw — the tool
  11. squash — to crush
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — the season
  14. can — a tin
  15. suit — to fit
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. suit — in cards
  18. fall — to drop
  19. net — in sport
  20. firm — decided
  21. scale — in music
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. firm — a company

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