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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. bass — the fish
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bass — low music
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. chest — a box
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. pit — a hole
  14. saw — the tool
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. chest — of your body
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. pit — in a race
  20. row — to paddle
  21. pass — a permit
  22. chest — of your body
  23. row — a line
  24. pass — to spend time

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