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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 116 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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. last — to go on
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. charge — electricity
  9. race — a contest
  10. wake — a trail
  11. race — the arms race
  12. drill — a practice
  13. perch — the fish
  14. charge — in control
  15. last — final
  16. last — finally
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. drill — the tool
  19. charge — a price
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. race — humankind
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. drill — army training

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