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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. march — the month
  3. mark — a trace
  4. spring — the season
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. wound — an injury
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. wound — an injury
  9. spring — of water
  10. march — the month
  11. march — music
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. spell — letters
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. spring — a coil
  16. stock — shares
  17. spell — a short time
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. stock — goods
  21. mark — a grade
  22. spell — magic
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. ruler — for measuring

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