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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. wind — moving air
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. fine — all right
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. rash — hasty
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. kick — in football
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. fine — high quality
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. wind — moving air
  19. rash — a series
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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