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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 124 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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. object — a thing
  3. swing — to play on
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. rash — hasty
  6. object — to protest
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mug — a cup
  9. rash — a series
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. mug — to rob
  13. object — an aim
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. mug — a face
  17. swing — music
  18. bear — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. ball — a dance
  21. swing — in golf
  22. bear — the animal
  23. ball — a great time
  24. mouse — for a computer

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