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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mug — a face
  3. fall — the season
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. cap — of ice
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. craft — a skill
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. fall — to drop
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. fall — to drop
  21. mug — a cup
  22. craft — boats
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  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