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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 116 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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. tube — the underground
  8. mark — a grade
  9. rest — a break
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. chip — to eat
  14. kick — in football
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. chip — for betting
  18. tube — a container
  19. rest — what's left
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. kick — a thrill

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