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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. wound — an injury
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. wound — an injury
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pass — a permit
  15. kick — in football
  16. saw — the tool
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. bowl — a dish

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