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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. rash — hasty
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cell — in biology
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. rash — a series
  11. craft — a skill
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. craft — boats
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. deal — to handle
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. cell — a phone
  19. bound — obliged
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. bound — certain
  22. capital — money
  23. capital — a city
  24. fan — a supporter

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