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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. fall — to drop
  5. spell — magic
  6. rock — a stone
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — a short time
  9. game — a match
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. fall — to drop
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. can — a tin
  17. pitch — completely
  18. rock — music
  19. game — wild animals
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. saw — the tool
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. fall — the season
  24. can — a tin

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