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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. fine — all right
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. clip — for paper
  10. deal — to handle
  11. saw — the tool
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. clip — to cut
  14. fine — high quality
  15. cold — not warm
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. kick — in football
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. saw — the tool
  21. cold — an illness
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. clip — a video

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