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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 116 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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. rash — a series
  6. snap — to click
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. rash — hasty
  9. degree — temperature
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. stand — to bear
  12. shower — to wash
  13. bound — tied together
  14. degree — from a university
  15. shower — rain
  16. degree — an amount
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. bound — obliged
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bound — certain
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. fan — a supporter

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