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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  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. saw — the tool
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. can — a tin
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cap — of ice
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. tube — a container
  8. drill — army training
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. drill — a practice
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. saw — the tool
  14. tube — the underground
  15. wake — a trail
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. cap — a hat
  19. can — a tin
  20. drill — the tool
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. mine — for digging
  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