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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: file · cap · kid · kick · last · saw · band · can

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. can — a tin
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. can — a tin
  6. kid — child
  7. cap — a hat
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. last — final
  11. kid — to tease
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. band — a ring
  15. file — a document
  16. file — a line of people
  17. file — a tool
  18. last — finally
  19. kick — in football
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. can — to be able to
  22. last — to go on
  23. cap — of ice
  24. band — a music group

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