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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. firm — steady
  6. saw — the tool
  7. firm — decided
  8. roll — a list
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. mug — a cup
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. firm — a company
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. mug — to rob
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. mug — a face

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