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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  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. rush — a thrill
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. ground — crushed
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. march — the month
  8. swing — in golf
  9. last — final
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. rush — hurry
  13. march — the month
  14. march — music
  15. swing — music
  16. swing — to play on
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. last — to go on
  19. plane — a tool
  20. ground — the earth
  21. last — finally
  22. ground — a position
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. cabinet — ministers

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