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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. dip — to sink
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. ball — a dance
  8. last — to go on
  9. roll — a list
  10. tube — a container
  11. last — final
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. tube — the underground
  15. roll — a cake
  16. ground — a position
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. ball — a great time
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. last — finally
  23. ground — crushed
  24. ground — the earth

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