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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 116 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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468
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: mate · hand · swing · cap · dip · can · cell · wake

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. can — a tin
  3. swing — music
  4. hand — help
  5. can — to be able to
  6. dip — to sink
  7. cell — in biology
  8. mate — to breed
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. mate — a friend
  12. cap — of ice
  13. can — a tin
  14. wake — a trail
  15. cell — a phone
  16. cap — a hat
  17. swing — in golf
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. cap — a lid
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. hand — in cards
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. mate — a partner

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