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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. object — a thing
  4. shower — rain
  5. plane — a tool
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. tear — from crying
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. tear — to rip
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. object — an aim
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. court — of law
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. tear — from crying
  17. court — for sport
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. court — of a king
  21. cell — a phone
  22. cell — in biology
  23. object — to protest
  24. shower — to wash

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