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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. spring — a coil
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. spell — magic
  7. scale — size or range
  8. spell — a short time
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. spring — of water
  11. degree — an amount
  12. fine — all right
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. scale — in music
  15. spring — the season
  16. degree — temperature
  17. spell — letters
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. degree — from a university
  20. face — to confront
  21. kick — in football
  22. face — to point toward
  23. face — part of the head
  24. fine — high quality

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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