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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. rush — hurry
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. snap — to click
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. chest — of your body
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. chest — of your body
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. stock — goods
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. chest — a box
  24. stock — shares

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