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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. pitch — completely
  3. rush — hurry
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. rest — what's left
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. kid — child
  16. rest — a break
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. prune — to trim
  22. kid — to tease
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. prune — to trim

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