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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. suit — to fit
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. object — a thing
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. tube — a container
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. spring — a coil
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. degree — an amount
  12. object — an aim
  13. tube — the underground
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. spring — the season
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rash — a series
  18. spring — of water
  19. object — to protest
  20. suit — clothes
  21. degree — from a university
  22. degree — temperature
  23. suit — in cards
  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