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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  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. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. track — a path
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. track — a song
  8. track — to keep track
  9. race — a contest
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. race — the arms race
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. wake — a trail
  15. pass — a permit
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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