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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bass — low music
  5. plane — a tool
  6. cap — a lid
  7. bass — the fish
  8. can — a tin
  9. staff — employees
  10. cap — of ice
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. staff — a stick
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. cap — a hat
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. lean — thin
  19. staff — employees
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — hurry
  22. can — a tin
  23. bat — the animal
  24. lean — to bend

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