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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 116 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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. mate — to breed
  3. net — for catching
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. mate — a partner
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — after costs
  15. kick — in football
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mate — a friend
  22. fork — in a road
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. kick — a thrill

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