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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. saw — the tool
  5. stock — shares
  6. face — part of the head
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. land — ground
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. saw — the tool
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. land — a country
  13. band — a music group
  14. face — to point toward
  15. kick — in football
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. stock — goods
  19. band — a ring
  20. swing — music
  21. face — to confront
  22. swing — to play on
  23. land — to come down
  24. swing — in golf

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