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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. spring — a coil
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. rush — hurry
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. race — a contest
  8. court — for sport
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. shower — to wash
  11. spring — of water
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. court — of a king
  17. shower — rain
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. race — the arms race
  22. spring — the season
  23. court — of law
  24. race — humankind

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