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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. sharp — clever
  3. board — to get on
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. rash — hasty
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. rash — a series
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. pit — a hole
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. mine — for digging
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — in a race
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. board — a committee

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