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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. spell — letters
  8. squash — to crush
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. spell — a short time
  11. stand — to bear
  12. craft — boats
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. squash — the sport
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — of a river
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bank — for money
  22. spell — magic
  23. craft — a skill
  24. mouse — for a computer

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