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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. mug — a face
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. clip — a video
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. firm — decided
  7. scale — size or range
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. mug — to rob
  10. firm — steady
  11. scale — in music
  12. board — a committee
  13. land — a country
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. land — ground
  17. mug — a cup
  18. clip — for paper
  19. land — to come down
  20. board — to get on
  21. clip — to cut
  22. firm — a company
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. scale — for weighing

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