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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. march — the month
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — a trace
  10. chest — a box
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. chest — of your body
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. current — electric
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. current — of water
  19. march — the month
  20. pound — a weight
  21. march — music
  22. current — happening now
  23. chest — of your body
  24. mark — to pay attention

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