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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. wound — an injury
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. row — a line
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. club — for golf
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. spell — letters
  11. stand — to bear
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. spell — a short time
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. wound — an injury
  16. club — a group
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. mine — for digging
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. spell — magic
  23. club — for dancing
  24. row — to paddle

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