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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. can — to be able to
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. row — a line
  7. march — the month
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. season — in sport
  10. cell — in biology
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. row — to paddle
  13. can — a tin
  14. board — to get on
  15. can — a tin
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. board — a committee
  20. cell — a phone
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. season — of the year
  23. march — the month
  24. march — music

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