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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. scale — in music
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. mine — for digging
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mate — a partner
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. spring — a coil
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. spring — of water
  17. spring — the season
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mate — a friend
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. scale — size or range

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