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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: can · snap · firm · land · tear · last · scale · cabinet

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. last — finally
  3. tear — to rip
  4. can — to be able to
  5. last — final
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. firm — a company
  8. last — to go on
  9. tear — from crying
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. scale — in music
  12. scale — size or range
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. firm — decided
  16. snap — to click
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. land — ground
  20. can — a tin
  21. land — to come down
  22. can — a tin
  23. firm — steady
  24. land — a country

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