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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. root — of a word
  5. fall — to drop
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. scale — in music
  8. hand — help
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. vault — a safe
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. root — the cause
  15. fall — the season
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. scale — size or range
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. hand — in cards
  24. root — of a plant

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