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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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. wind — moving air
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. wind — moving air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. last — to go on
  11. can — a tin
  12. last — final
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. cell — in biology
  15. cell — a phone
  16. can — a tin
  17. season — in sport
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. last — finally
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. season — of the year

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