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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. suit — to fit
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. kid — to tease
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bound — obliged
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. race — humankind
  15. bound — tied together
  16. kid — child
  17. race — a contest
  18. suit — clothes
  19. bound — certain
  20. race — the arms race
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bat — the animal
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. suit — in cards

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