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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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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. fork — in a road
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. key — in music
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bat — the animal
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. key — for a lock
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. rest — what's left
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. mine — for digging
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. snap — to click
  21. rest — a break
  22. key — the most important part
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. bat — in an idiom

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