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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. club — for dancing
  3. bound — obliged
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. club — for golf
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. object — a thing
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. shower — rain
  10. rest — a break
  11. bound — certain
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bound — tied together
  18. shower — to wash
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rush — hurry
  21. object — an aim
  22. club — a group
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. object — to protest

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