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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. present — there
  3. rest — what's left
  4. drill — army training
  5. scale — size or range
  6. rest — a break
  7. scale — in music
  8. lean — to bend
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. drill — a practice
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. pit — in a race
  16. drill — the tool
  17. present — a gift
  18. present — the time now
  19. lean — thin
  20. rest — what's left
  21. fine — all right
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. pit — a hole

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