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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. present — a gift
  6. present — there
  7. land — to come down
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. land — a country
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bass — the fish
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. chest — of your body
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. present — the time now
  18. chest — of your body
  19. land — ground
  20. chest — a box
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. saw — the tool

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