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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. drill — army training
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. content — happy
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. content — the amount
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. pit — in a race
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. tube — the underground
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. tube — a container
  19. drill — the tool
  20. drill — a practice
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. cabinet — ministers

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