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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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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rash — a series
  4. rash — hasty
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. deal — to handle
  9. bat — the animal
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rock — a stone
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. ball — a great time
  15. lean — thin
  16. rock — music
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. ball — a dance
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. lean — to bend
  24. kick — in football

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