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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. craft — boats
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. fall — to drop
  6. rock — music
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. rock — a stone
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. object — to protest
  15. craft — a skill
  16. fall — the season
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. object — a thing
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. object — an aim

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