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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 120 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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. shower — to wash
  3. fine — all right
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. spring — a coil
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. fine — high quality
  9. charge — a price
  10. craft — a skill
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. charge — electricity
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. spring — of water
  15. spring — the season
  16. craft — boats
  17. charge — in control
  18. shower — rain

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