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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  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. nail — for a hammer
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mark — a grade
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. kick — in football
  11. pop — to visit
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. land — a country
  15. pop — soda
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. pop — music
  20. land — ground
  21. land — to come down
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. rush — hurry
  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