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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. row — to paddle
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. tube — the underground
  8. row — a line
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. cell — in biology
  12. clip — a video
  13. clip — for paper
  14. band — a ring
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. foot — a measure
  20. band — a music group
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. tube — a container
  23. cell — a phone
  24. clip — to cut

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