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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. land — a country
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ball — a dance
  9. fine — high quality
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. content — happy
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. sharp — clever
  14. perch — the fish
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. fine — all right
  18. land — ground
  19. content — the amount
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. land — to come down
  24. snap — to click

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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