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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. last — final
  6. ball — a great time
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bass — the fish
  11. foot — a measure
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. bass — low music
  16. ball — a dance
  17. last — finally
  18. hand — help
  19. hand — in cards
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. last — to go on
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. cabinet — ministers

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