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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 120 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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. land — to come down
  5. can — a tin
  6. rest — a break
  7. can — to be able to
  8. ball — a dance
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. can — a tin
  14. land — ground
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — what's left
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. land — a country
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. ball — a great time

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