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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.

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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. race — the arms race
  3. saw — the tool
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. race — a contest
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. lean — thin
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. shower — rain
  12. rest — a break
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. saw — the tool
  15. rest — what's left
  16. shower — to wash
  17. race — humankind
  18. lean — to bend
  19. rest — what's left
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. cabinet — ministers

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