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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. staff — a stick
  3. charge — electricity
  4. mate — a partner
  5. deal — to handle
  6. bank — of a river
  7. mate — to breed
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. bank — for money
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. staff — employees
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. charge — in control
  15. staff — employees
  16. content — the amount
  17. charge — a price
  18. row — to paddle
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. content — happy
  21. row — a line
  22. bank — for money
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. mate — a friend

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