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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. plane — a tool
  4. bass — the fish
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. wake — a trail
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. stock — goods
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. stock — shares
  15. bass — low music
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. shower — to wash
  22. shower — rain
  23. fork — in a road
  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