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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. spring — a coil
  4. saw — the tool
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. hand — in cards
  10. hand — help
  11. band — a ring
  12. band — a music group
  13. saw — the tool
  14. spring — the season
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. spring — of water
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. fork — in a road
  20. rush — hurry
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. mouse — the animal

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