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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. court — of law
  3. fine — all right
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. fine — high quality
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — for money
  8. court — for sport
  9. last — final
  10. saw — the tool
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bank — of a river
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bear — the animal
  18. last — finally
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. court — of a king
  22. last — to go on
  23. hand — in cards
  24. hand — help

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