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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. cell — a phone
  3. cell — in biology
  4. key — in music
  5. pit — in a race
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. craft — a skill
  8. file — a document
  9. board — to get on
  10. rush — hurry
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pit — a hole
  13. file — a line of people
  14. craft — boats
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. key — for a lock
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. file — a tool
  20. key — the most important part
  21. board — a committee
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. board — a flat piece

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