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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. chest — a box
  3. foot — a measure
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. toast — bread
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. drill — the tool
  9. drill — a practice
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. branch — a division
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. roll — a list
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. drill — army training
  18. chest — of your body
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. roll — a cake
  21. chest — of your body
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. toast — the most admired

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