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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. charge — a price
  7. wound — an injury
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. game — a match
  10. sharp — clever
  11. saw — the tool
  12. mark — a trace
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. charge — electricity
  17. bear — the animal
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bear — the animal
  20. charge — in control
  21. saw — the tool
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. game — wild animals
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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