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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 124 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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bat — the animal
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. branch — a division
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. cue — a signal
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. firm — steady
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. content — the amount
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cue — a hint
  18. kick — in football
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. firm — a company
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. content — happy
  23. firm — decided
  24. hide — to keep secret

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