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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. mug — to rob
  3. rest — what's left
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. wound — an injury
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. rest — what's left
  8. last — finally
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. ball — a great time
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. rest — a break
  13. mug — a cup
  14. last — to go on
  15. wound — an injury
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. degree — temperature
  18. degree — from a university
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. mug — a face
  21. last — final
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. degree — an amount
  24. ball — a dance

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