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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 124 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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. craft — boats
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. chest — of your body
  5. toast — bread
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. craft — a skill
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. rule — a law
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. chest — of your body
  17. lie — to recline
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. rule — government
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. chest — a box
  24. mouse — for a computer

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