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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. craft — boats
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bound — tied together
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. bound — certain
  9. firm — a company
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. face — part of the head
  13. craft — a skill
  14. firm — decided
  15. face — to confront
  16. bound — obliged
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. firm — steady
  21. face — to point toward
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. nail — for a hammer

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