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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. track — a path
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. can — a tin
  15. snap — to click
  16. can — to be able to
  17. track — a song
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. can — a tin
  21. track — to keep track
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. mine — for digging

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