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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 124 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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. present — there
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. lie — to recline
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bass — the fish
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. rush — hurry
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bass — low music
  20. date — the fruit
  21. present — a gift
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. present — the time now

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