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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. kid — to tease
  3. mine — for digging
  4. kid — child
  5. ball — a dance
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. present — the time now
  8. present — a gift
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. track — a path
  13. bank — for money
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bank — for money
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. present — there
  18. ball — a great time
  19. bank — of a river
  20. rush — hurry
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. track — a song
  23. track — to keep track
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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