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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. last — finally
  3. prune — to trim
  4. last — final
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. tube — a container
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. bat — the animal
  10. stem — to come from
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. scale — size or range
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. prune — to trim
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. last — to go on
  22. scale — in music
  23. tube — the underground
  24. cabinet — ministers

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