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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. lean — thin
  4. fall — the season
  5. spring — a coil
  6. spring — the season
  7. fall — to drop
  8. ball — a great time
  9. spring — of water
  10. last — to go on
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. fall — to drop
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. squash — to crush
  15. last — final
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lean — to bend
  19. kick — in football
  20. squash — the sport
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. ball — a dance
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. last — finally

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