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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 116 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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  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 — ministers
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. club — for golf
  4. club — for dancing
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bank — for money
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. chair — a leader
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. kick — in football
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bound — certain
  18. bank — of a river
  19. club — a group
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. bank — for money
  22. bound — obliged
  23. wave — of the sea
  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