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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. foot — a measure
  5. firm — a company
  6. firm — steady
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — moving air
  11. cue — a signal
  12. firm — decided
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. last — final
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. cell — in biology
  17. cell — a phone
  18. shower — to wash
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cue — for pool
  21. shower — rain
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. last — to go on
  24. last — finally

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