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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 116 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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. prune — to trim
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. charge — a price
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. charge — in control
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bass — low music
  10. spell — magic
  11. prune — to trim
  12. spell — a short time
  13. spell — letters
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. bass — the fish
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. dip — to sink
  23. charge — electricity
  24. prune — the fruit

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