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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 116 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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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. spring — a coil
  4. rash — a series
  5. rash — hasty
  6. spring — the season
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mate — a partner
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. wind — moving air
  13. firm — decided
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. firm — steady
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. wind — moving air
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. spring — of water
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. mate — a friend
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. firm — a company

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