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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. lean — thin
  3. ball — a dance
  4. rest — what's left
  5. pop — music
  6. stand — to bear
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pop — to visit
  9. lean — to bend
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. rest — what's left
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. ball — a great time
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. snap — to click
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. rest — a break
  24. pop — soda

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