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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. can — a tin
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — an injury
  5. can — a tin
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. cue — a hint
  8. fall — to drop
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. cue — for pool
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. field — a subject
  13. squash — the sport
  14. cue — a signal
  15. can — to be able to
  16. cap — of ice
  17. field — for sport
  18. field — farmland
  19. squash — to crush
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. fall — the season
  22. cap — a lid
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. cap — a hat

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