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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. shower — to wash
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. can — a tin
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. can — a tin
  8. land — ground
  9. plane — a tool
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. land — a country
  15. land — to come down
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — a hat
  21. shower — rain
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. cap — of ice
  24. nail — for a hammer

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