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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. present — a gift
  3. march — the month
  4. firm — steady
  5. can — a tin
  6. current — happening now
  7. march — music
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. hand — in cards
  10. rest — what's left
  11. firm — a company
  12. current — electric
  13. present — there
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. rest — a break
  16. rest — what's left
  17. can — to be able to
  18. hand — help
  19. march — the month
  20. shower — to wash
  21. present — the time now
  22. firm — decided
  23. current — of water
  24. shower — rain

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