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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 120 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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. mark — a grade
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. shower — rain
  5. saw — the tool
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. court — of a king
  10. saw — the tool
  11. shower — to wash
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. staff — a stick
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. mark — a trace
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. band — a music group
  18. staff — employees
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. court — for sport
  21. court — of law
  22. band — a ring
  23. staff — employees
  24. mark — to pay attention

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