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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. season — in sport
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. snap — to click
  9. track — a song
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — in a race
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. track — a path
  15. saw — the tool
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. rock — a stone
  18. track — to keep track
  19. rock — music
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — a division
  22. season — of the year
  23. pit — a hole
  24. rock — to move gently

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