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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 124 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. can — to be able to
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. tube — a container
  8. mark — a grade
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. rash — hasty
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. tube — the underground
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rash — a series
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mark — a trace
  22. wind — moving air
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. wind — moving air

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