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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. saw — the tool
  5. land — a country
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. saw — the tool
  9. lean — to bend
  10. rest — what's left
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. land — to come down
  14. tube — the underground
  15. cap — a hat
  16. cap — of ice
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — a break
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. land — ground
  23. tube — a container
  24. lean — thin

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