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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 116 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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. kick — in football
  4. spring — of water
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. face — to confront
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. rock — a stone
  11. stock — shares
  12. stock — goods
  13. firm — steady
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. firm — a company
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. rock — music
  18. spring — a coil
  19. face — part of the head
  20. firm — decided
  21. spring — the season
  22. face — to point toward
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. rock — to move gently

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