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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. bear — the animal
  3. rest — what's left
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. pop — to visit
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. race — a contest
  10. pop — soda
  11. last — final
  12. sharp — clever
  13. last — to go on
  14. race — humankind
  15. rest — a break
  16. last — finally
  17. pop — music
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bear — the animal
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. rest — what's left
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. race — the arms race

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