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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. cap — of ice
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. sharp — clever
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. root — of a plant
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. pound — a weight
  18. cap — a lid
  19. hand — in cards
  20. root — the cause
  21. root — of a word
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. hand — help

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