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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. can — to be able to
  3. mine — for digging
  4. spell — a short time
  5. present — the time now
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. spell — letters
  8. rest — a break
  9. present — a gift
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. can — a tin
  13. stem — to come from
  14. spell — magic
  15. can — a tin
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. game — a match
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. rest — what's left
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. game — wild animals
  23. rest — what's left
  24. present — there

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