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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 124 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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. lean — to bend
  6. drill — the tool
  7. roll — a cake
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. roll — a list
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. cap — a hat
  12. drill — a practice
  13. drill — army training
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cap — of ice
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. lean — thin
  20. wax — to grow
  21. mine — for digging
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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