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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. lie — to recline
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. game — wild animals
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. stock — goods
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. shower — rain
  11. hand — help
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. plane — a tool
  14. game — a match
  15. mark — a grade
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. hand — in cards
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mark — a trace
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. shower — to wash
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. stock — shares

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