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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. chest — a box
  4. fine — high quality
  5. pop — to visit
  6. land — a country
  7. chest — of your body
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. land — ground
  12. pop — music
  13. fine — all right
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pop — soda
  17. land — to come down
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. chest — of your body
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — an injury
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. cabinet — ministers

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