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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. club — a group
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. spring — the season
  10. spring — a coil
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. row — to paddle
  13. row — a line
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. scale — size or range
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. club — for dancing
  18. club — for golf
  19. shower — rain
  20. scale — in music
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. spring — of water
  23. shower — to wash
  24. safe — a strongbox

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