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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 116 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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. pop — soda
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bank — for money
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. pop — to visit
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. dip — to sink
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — a stone
  13. bank — for money
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. rock — music
  16. pop — music
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. chair — a leader
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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