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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. hand — help
  3. cue — a hint
  4. drill — army training
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. hand — in cards
  9. cue — for pool
  10. wind — moving air
  11. drill — a practice
  12. plane — a tool
  13. cue — a signal
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. fine — all right
  18. drill — the tool
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. wind — moving air
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. fine — high quality
  24. cabinet — ministers

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