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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. chest — a box
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. band — a music group
  7. prune — to trim
  8. fine — high quality
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. fine — all right
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. prune — to trim
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. mine — for digging
  15. band — a ring
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. saw — the tool
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. chest — of your body
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. chest — of your body

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