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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. mug — a cup
  4. file — a line of people
  5. field — for sport
  6. rock — music
  7. wind — moving air
  8. file — a document
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rock — a stone
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. saw — the tool
  13. wind — moving air
  14. mug — to rob
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. field — farmland
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. field — a subject
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. saw — the tool
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. mug — a face
  24. file — a tool

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