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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: pop · snap · jam · swing · mine · lean · can · cap

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. lean — to bend
  5. can — to be able to
  6. cap — a hat
  7. snap — to click
  8. mine — for digging
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. swing — to play on
  12. can — a tin
  13. lean — thin
  14. can — a tin
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. pop — to visit
  17. swing — music
  18. cap — a lid
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. swing — in golf
  21. pop — soda
  22. cap — of ice
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. lean — to rest against

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