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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. degree — an amount
  3. chest — a box
  4. charge — in control
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. can — to be able to
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. date — the fruit
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. charge — a price
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — of your body
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. degree — temperature
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. can — a tin
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. lie — to recline
  21. can — a tin
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. degree — from a university
  24. charge — electricity

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