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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. can — a tin
  3. hand — help
  4. bank — for money
  5. key — for a lock
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. key — the most important part
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bank — for money
  10. track — to keep track
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. track — a path
  13. hand — in cards
  14. sharp — clever
  15. track — a song
  16. key — in music
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. stem — to come from
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. bank — of a river
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — to be able to

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