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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cap — a hat
  3. capital — money
  4. lie — to recline
  5. cue — a hint
  6. cap — of ice
  7. drill — army training
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. drill — the tool
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. drill — a practice
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cue — a signal
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. cue — for pool
  19. capital — a city
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. cap — a lid
  22. snap — to click
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — the tool

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