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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 120 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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. rash — a series
  3. rest — what's left
  4. can — a tin
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bore — to tire
  11. cap — a hat
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rest — what's left
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. cap — a lid
  16. rest — a break
  17. cap — of ice
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. bore — to drill
  20. rash — hasty
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. can — to be able to
  24. bore — gave birth

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