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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. fine — high quality
  3. mug — a face
  4. mug — a cup
  5. present — the time now
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. pop — soda
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. fine — all right
  10. mug — to rob
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. present — there
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. present — a gift
  15. row — to paddle
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. pop — music
  19. row — a line
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. season — of the year
  23. season — in sport
  24. pop — to visit

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