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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — after costs
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. key — for a lock
  7. deal — to handle
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. key — the most important part
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. key — in music
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. net — for catching
  17. clip — a video
  18. clip — for paper
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. clip — to cut
  24. straw — a straw man

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