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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. fine — high quality
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. fine — all right
  8. row — a line
  9. pass — a permit
  10. dip — to sink
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. saw — the tool
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. shower — to wash
  16. shower — rain
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. row — to paddle
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. dip — to dunk

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