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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. rush — hurry
  3. fall — to drop
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. fall — the season
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. shower — to wash
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. wax — to grow
  14. shower — rain
  15. squash — the sport
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. fall — to drop
  21. foot — a measure
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. rush — to hurry

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