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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: lean · wound · rock · saw · plane · cap · spell · can

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. rock — a stone
  4. cap — of ice
  5. can — a tin
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. cap — a hat
  8. plane — a tool
  9. lean — to bend
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — letters
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. rock — music
  17. lean — thin
  18. spell — a short time
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. wound — an injury
  21. cap — a lid
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. wound — an injury

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