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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 120 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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. file — a tool
  3. field — a subject
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. suit — in cards
  6. suit — clothes
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. file — a line of people
  9. fall — to drop
  10. field — farmland
  11. deal — to handle
  12. pop — soda
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. fall — the season
  16. pop — music
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. field — for sport
  19. fall — to drop
  20. pop — to visit
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. suit — to fit
  24. file — a document

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