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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cap — of ice
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. cap — a lid
  5. object — a thing
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. shower — rain
  8. fall — the season
  9. fall — to drop
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. deal — to handle
  12. cap — a hat
  13. object — to protest
  14. bound — certain
  15. cell — a phone
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. object — an aim
  18. cell — in biology
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. shower — to wash
  21. bound — tied together
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bound — obliged
  24. cell — in a prison

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