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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. scale — size or range
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. can — a tin
  5. firm — a company
  6. scale — in music
  7. rash — a series
  8. firm — decided
  9. can — to be able to
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. can — a tin
  15. shower — rain
  16. shower — to wash
  17. clip — to cut
  18. firm — steady
  19. rash — hasty
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. clip — for paper
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. clip — a video

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