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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: hand · pitcher · snap · can · last · bay · toast · cap

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. cap — of ice
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. hand — in cards
  6. can — to be able to
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. toast — bread
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. last — to go on
  13. hand — help
  14. cap — a lid
  15. last — finally
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. snap — to click
  18. can — a tin
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. cap — a hat
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. can — a tin
  24. last — final

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