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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. charge — electricity
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. lean — thin
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. charge — in control
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. chair — a leader
  13. can — to be able to
  14. lean — to bend
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. charge — a price
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. can — a tin
  23. snap — to click
  24. nail — for a hammer

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