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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. lean — thin
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cue — for pool
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cue — a signal
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — the season
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. pitch — completely
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. cue — a hint
  17. bass — the fish
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. bass — low music
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. foot — a measure
  24. lean — to bend

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