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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. bound — obliged
  3. craft — a skill
  4. cap — a lid
  5. craft — boats
  6. cap — of ice
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cap — a hat
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. cue — a hint
  13. wind — moving air
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. bound — certain
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bound — tied together
  24. cue — a signal

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