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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: mouse · bass · leaves · cap · rash · land · nail · can

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a hat
  6. can — a tin
  7. bass — low music
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. rash — hasty
  13. land — a country
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. land — ground
  16. land — to come down
  17. rash — a series
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. can — a tin
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bass — the instrument

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