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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.

Make a worksheet

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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. toast — bread
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. file — a line of people
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. fine — all right
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. plane — a tool
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. file — a tool
  23. file — a document
  24. fine — high quality

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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