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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. file — a tool
  4. file — a document
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. foot — a measure
  10. chair — a leader
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. present — the time now
  13. present — a gift
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. file — a line of people
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. present — there
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. vault — a safe

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