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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bat — the animal
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. wind — moving air
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. fork — in a road
  12. lie — to recline
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. suit — clothes
  16. roll — a list
  17. suit — to fit
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. suit — in cards
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. roll — a cake

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