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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. wake — a trail
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. cap — of ice
  7. current — of water
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. scale — in music
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — electric
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. cap — a lid
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. scale — size or range
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. wind — moving air
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. wind — moving air

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