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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. pop — music
  6. bear — the animal
  7. land — to come down
  8. shower — rain
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. shower — to wash
  11. pop — to visit
  12. land — a country
  13. bear — the animal
  14. hand — in cards
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. land — ground
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pop — soda
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. cabinet — ministers

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