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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rash — hasty
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. rash — a series
  7. last — finally
  8. object — a thing
  9. track — to keep track
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. cap — a hat
  12. last — to go on
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. object — an aim
  15. track — a song
  16. track — a path
  17. object — to protest
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. cap — of ice
  20. last — final
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. cap — a lid

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