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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. bore — to tire
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rock — music
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. rock — a stone
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stand — to bear
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rush — hurry
  18. chair — a leader
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. bore — to drill

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