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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. squash — the sport
  3. can — a tin
  4. face — to point toward
  5. face — part of the head
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. land — to come down
  8. face — to confront
  9. land — ground
  10. tear — to rip
  11. squash — to crush
  12. can — a tin
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. mug — a cup
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. tear — from crying
  19. land — a country
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mug — a face
  22. tear — from crying
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. racket — for tennis

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