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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. deal — to handle
  3. can — a tin
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. mug — to rob
  8. can — to be able to
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. rush — hurry
  12. mine — for digging
  13. root — of a word
  14. cap — a hat
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. root — of a plant
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. cap — a lid
  19. root — the cause
  20. cap — of ice
  21. saw — the tool
  22. mug — a cup
  23. mug — a face
  24. can — a tin

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