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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. wind — moving air
  3. fine — high quality
  4. ground — crushed
  5. wind — moving air
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bore — to tire
  9. fine — all right
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. can — to be able to
  12. ground — a position
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. ground — the earth
  16. can — a tin
  17. bore — to drill
  18. can — a tin

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