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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 116 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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. lean — thin
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. drill — the tool
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — hurry
  8. perch — the fish
  9. wind — moving air
  10. mate — to breed
  11. drill — a practice
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. mate — a friend
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rash — a series
  20. wind — moving air
  21. lean — to bend
  22. mate — a partner
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. drill — army training

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