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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. mine — for digging
  5. squash — to crush
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. rush — hurry
  15. squash — the sport
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. saw — the tool
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. saw — the tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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