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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. roll — a list
  3. can — to be able to
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. file — a document
  7. can — a tin
  8. suit — in cards
  9. roll — a cake
  10. file — a tool
  11. file — a line of people
  12. can — a tin
  13. last — finally
  14. last — to go on
  15. hand — in cards
  16. mug — a cup
  17. suit — to fit
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. mug — to rob
  20. suit — clothes
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — moving air
  23. hand — help
  24. mug — a face

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