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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bank — for money
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. object — to protest
  8. face — to point toward
  9. ball — a great time
  10. face — part of the head
  11. bank — for money
  12. face — to confront
  13. wake — a trail
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. ball — a dance
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bank — of a river
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. object — an aim
  23. object — a thing
  24. cabinet — ministers

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