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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.

Make a worksheet

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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. squash — the sport
  5. roll — a cake
  6. bear — the animal
  7. sharp — clever
  8. staff — employees
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. staff — employees
  14. roll — a list
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. squash — to crush
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. staff — a stick
  21. bear — the animal
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. chair — a leader

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