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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. race — a contest
  14. kick — in football
  15. plane — a tool
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. race — humankind
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. race — the arms race
  23. date — the fruit
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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