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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. staff — employees
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. fork — in a road
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. board — a committee
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. rush — hurry
  11. cell — a phone
  12. tear — from crying
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. staff — a stick
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. staff — employees
  18. tear — from crying
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — to get on
  22. tear — to rip
  23. cell — in biology
  24. fork — a garden tool

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