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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. saw — the tool
  3. board — to get on
  4. ball — a dance
  5. perch — the fish
  6. drill — a practice
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. plane — a tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. saw — the tool
  12. file — a tool
  13. file — a document
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. board — a committee
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. ball — a great time
  22. file — a line of people
  23. drill — the tool
  24. drill — army training

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