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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. kid — to tease
  7. rash — hasty
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rash — a series
  12. fork — in a road
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. can — a tin
  15. kid — child
  16. can — a tin
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cold — not warm
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. can — to be able to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. cold — an illness

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