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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. object — an aim
  3. pop — to visit
  4. wind — moving air
  5. ball — a dance
  6. swing — music
  7. object — to protest
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. tear — from crying
  10. swing — in golf
  11. pop — soda
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. swing — to play on
  15. pop — music
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. tear — from crying
  18. wind — moving air
  19. bear — the animal
  20. object — a thing
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. tear — to rip
  24. bear — the animal

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