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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 116 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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. prune — to trim
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. season — in sport
  9. board — a committee
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. prune — to trim
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. season — of the year
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. board — to get on
  24. cap — a lid

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