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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. season — in sport
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. bear — the animal
  10. scale — in music
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. saw — the tool
  14. face — part of the head
  15. chip — for betting
  16. face — to point toward
  17. chip — to eat
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. face — to confront
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. scale — size or range
  22. saw — the tool
  23. row — a line
  24. row — to paddle

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