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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  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. kick — a thrill
  3. chest — of your body
  4. key — in music
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. can — a tin
  8. snap — to click
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. can — a tin
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. firm — steady
  14. can — to be able to
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. key — for a lock
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — a box
  19. firm — a company
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. firm — decided
  22. key — the most important part
  23. kick — in football
  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