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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fine — all right
  8. kid — child
  9. mark — a grade
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. bear — the animal
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. mark — a trace
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. kid — to tease
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. cell — a phone
  24. cell — in biology

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