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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. scale — size or range
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. chest — of your body
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. dip — to sink
  7. pass — a permit
  8. craft — a skill
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. craft — boats
  16. scale — in music
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. sharp — clever
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. chest — of your body
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. craft — a handicraft

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