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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. sharp — clever
  10. can — to be able to
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. game — a match
  13. face — to point toward
  14. clip — to cut
  15. clip — a video
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. can — a tin
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. pound — a weight
  20. game — wild animals
  21. face — to confront
  22. clip — for paper
  23. face — part of the head
  24. pound — to hit hard

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