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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  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. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. field — for sport
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. fine — all right
  8. spring — a coil
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. spring — of water
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. face — part of the head
  15. fine — high quality
  16. field — farmland
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. face — to confront
  19. face — to point toward
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. spring — the season
  22. field — a subject
  23. wake — a trail
  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