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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. suit — to fit
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. band — a ring
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. suit — clothes
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. suit — in cards
  16. fall — the season
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — to drop
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. kick — in football
  22. band — a music group
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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