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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. chest — of your body
  3. rash — hasty
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. rush — hurry
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. chest — a box
  8. field — for sport
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. suit — to fit
  11. field — farmland
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. suit — clothes
  17. suit — in cards
  18. firm — a company
  19. chest — of your body
  20. firm — decided
  21. field — a subject
  22. firm — steady
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rash — a series

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