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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 124 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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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. bear — to put up with
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bound — certain
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. bear — the animal
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bear — the animal
  12. fall — the season
  13. bound — obliged
  14. perch — the fish
  15. fall — to drop
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. fall — to drop
  18. lean — to bend
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. lean — thin
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. cabinet — ministers

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