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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 116 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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. spring — the season
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pit — a hole
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. pit — in a race
  9. board — to get on
  10. spring — of water
  11. spring — a coil
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. field — for sport
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. wake — a trail
  18. field — farmland
  19. fine — all right
  20. field — a subject
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. board — a committee
  23. fine — high quality
  24. wake — before a funeral

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