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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. object — an aim
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. roll — a list
  6. spell — letters
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. roll — a cake
  12. chest — of your body
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pass — a permit
  15. spell — a short time
  16. chest — a box
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. chest — of your body
  19. object — to protest
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. object — a thing
  22. spell — magic
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. pass — to spend time

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