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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. firm — steady
  5. hand — help
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. plane — a tool
  10. scale — size or range
  11. firm — decided
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. scale — in music
  15. firm — a company
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. court — for sport
  18. hand — in cards
  19. court — of a king
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. court — of law
  24. plane — in geometry

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