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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kick — in football
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. object — an aim
  10. object — a thing
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. perch — the fish
  13. cell — in biology
  14. cell — a phone
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. fall — the season
  21. object — to protest
  22. prune — to trim
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — to drop

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