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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. last — finally
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. last — final
  9. degree — temperature
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. mark — a trace
  12. degree — from a university
  13. mark — a grade
  14. scale — in music
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. degree — an amount
  17. scale — size or range
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. bowl — a football final

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