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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  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. saw — the tool
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. land — to come down
  5. club — for golf
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. mate — to breed
  8. lean — to bend
  9. land — a country
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. lean — thin
  14. land — ground
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. fork — in a road
  17. club — a group
  18. mate — a friend
  19. saw — the tool
  20. mate — a partner
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. club — for dancing
  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