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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. foot — a measure
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. chest — a box
  7. chest — of your body
  8. object — an aim
  9. suit — to fit
  10. cold — an illness
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. object — a thing
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. suit — in cards
  16. object — to protest
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. cold — not warm
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. chest — of your body
  24. rush — hurry

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