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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 116 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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. wind — moving air
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. scale — size or range
  5. saw — the tool
  6. fall — to drop
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. scale — in music
  12. wind — moving air
  13. pitch — completely
  14. fall — the season
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. perch — the fish
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. fall — to drop
  24. perch — for a bird

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