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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. present — there
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. row — a line
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. ground — the earth
  10. present — a gift
  11. fall — to drop
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fine — all right
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. ground — crushed
  19. fall — the season
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. squash — to crush
  22. squash — the sport
  23. ground — a position
  24. row — to paddle

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