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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. fall — the season
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. club — for dancing
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. club — for golf
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. club — a group
  13. deal — to handle
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. cold — not warm
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. cold — an illness
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. pound — a weight
  22. fall — to drop
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. fall — to drop

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