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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bass — the fish
  11. capital — a city
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. cold — an illness
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. cold — not warm
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. capital — money
  21. pass — a permit
  22. bass — low music
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. capital — a big letter

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