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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. mug — to rob
  3. drill — the tool
  4. mug — a face
  5. drill — army training
  6. can — to be able to
  7. spell — magic
  8. roll — a cake
  9. spell — a short time
  10. drill — a practice
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. shower — to wash
  13. mug — a cup
  14. present — a gift
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. spell — letters
  18. roll — a list
  19. shower — rain
  20. present — the time now
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. can — a tin
  24. present — there

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