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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. spell — magic
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. rash — hasty
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. rash — a series
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. kid — child
  15. key — for a lock
  16. spell — a short time
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. key — the most important part
  20. kid — to tease
  21. spell — letters
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. stem — to come from
  24. cabinet — ministers

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