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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. hand — help
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. can — to be able to
  7. bore — to tire
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. bore — to drill
  11. hand — in cards
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. can — a tin
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. mine — for digging
  24. fork — in a road

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