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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 116 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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. fall — to drop
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. row — a line
  6. cap — a lid
  7. fall — the season
  8. tube — the underground
  9. track — a path
  10. club — for golf
  11. can — a tin
  12. track — to keep track
  13. club — a group
  14. tube — a container
  15. cap — a hat
  16. track — a song
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. club — for dancing
  20. row — to paddle
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. fall — to drop
  24. row — a quarrel

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