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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'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. squash — the sport
  3. key — the most important part
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. squash — to crush
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. kick — in football
  9. stock — goods
  10. clip — for paper
  11. key — for a lock
  12. clip — a video
  13. mate — a partner
  14. stock — shares
  15. mate — a friend
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. mate — to breed
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. clip — to cut
  22. key — in music
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — animal skin

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