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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  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. race — humankind
  3. row — to paddle
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. suit — clothes
  6. suit — to fit
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. chest — of your body
  9. suit — in cards
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. date — the fruit
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chest — a box
  14. row — a line
  15. scale — in music
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. race — the arms race
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. scale — size or range
  22. race — a contest
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  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