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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. mug — to rob
  3. vault — a safe
  4. hand — in cards
  5. can — a tin
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. firm — a company
  8. can — to be able to
  9. hand — help
  10. clip — a video
  11. mug — a face
  12. face — to point toward
  13. mug — a cup
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. firm — decided
  16. face — to confront
  17. kick — in football
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. clip — for paper
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. face — part of the head
  23. firm — steady
  24. clip — to cut

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