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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. rest — what's left
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. game — wild animals
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ball — a dance
  8. rest — what's left
  9. ball — a great time
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. game — a match
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. shower — rain
  15. bass — low music
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. shower — to wash
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. bass — the fish
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. branch — a division
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. rest — a break

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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