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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. tube — the underground
  4. content — happy
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. firm — decided
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. pound — a weight
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — a container
  11. shower — to wash
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. firm — a company
  14. face — to point toward
  15. face — to confront
  16. face — part of the head
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. firm — steady
  22. shower — rain
  23. content — the amount
  24. pound — to hit hard

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