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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. present — there
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. present — a gift
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. chip — for betting
  14. fall — the season
  15. present — the time now
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. drill — a practice
  18. drill — army training
  19. prune — to trim
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — to drop
  22. prune — to trim
  23. chip — to eat
  24. drill — the tool

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