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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. saw — the tool
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. wake — a trail
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. march — the month
  13. march — music
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. march — the month
  16. saw — the tool
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. band — a music group
  20. band — a ring
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to bend
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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