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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. march — the month
  4. bat — the animal
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. snap — to click
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. march — music
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. march — the month
  16. race — humankind
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. race — the arms race
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. deal — to handle
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. race — a contest

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