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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. present — the time now
  3. lean — thin
  4. present — there
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. lean — to bend
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. cell — a phone
  11. craft — a skill
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cold — an illness
  14. present — a gift
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. cell — in biology
  20. cold — not warm
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. craft — boats

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