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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. charge — electricity
  7. face — to point toward
  8. charge — a price
  9. pop — to visit
  10. fork — in a road
  11. charge — in control
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. face — part of the head
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. pop — music
  19. face — to confront
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. pop — soda
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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