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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. cold — not warm
  5. track — a path
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. cold — an illness
  8. track — to keep track
  9. spring — a coil
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. spring — the season
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. spring — of water
  15. lie — to recline
  16. club — for golf
  17. club — for dancing
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. club — a group
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. chip — for betting
  22. track — a song
  23. chip — to eat
  24. cabinet — ministers

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