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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 120 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. season — in sport
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. net — in sport
  11. can — a tin
  12. deal — to handle
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. net — after costs
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. season — of the year
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. can — a tin
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. net — for catching
  23. snap — to click
  24. can — to be able to

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