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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mug — a cup
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. object — an aim
  6. wake — a trail
  7. key — the most important part
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stem — to come from
  10. snap — to click
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. object — a thing
  13. key — for a lock
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. key — in music
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. bound — tied together
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. bound — obliged
  22. mug — a face
  23. bound — certain
  24. object — to protest

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