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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. rash — hasty
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. prune — to trim
  23. rash — a series
  24. mouse — the animal

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