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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. mug — to rob
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. cold — an illness
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. mug — a cup
  11. pass — a permit
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cold — not warm
  15. scale — size or range
  16. fall — to drop
  17. scale — in music
  18. cell — a phone
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. fall — the season
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. fall — to drop
  23. mug — a face
  24. cell — in biology

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