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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. land — ground
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — the sport
  8. mark — a trace
  9. board — to get on
  10. land — a country
  11. staff — employees
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. prune — to trim
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. prune — to trim
  17. staff — employees
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. lie — to recline
  20. land — to come down
  21. mark — a grade
  22. squash — to crush
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. mark — to pay attention

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