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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  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. face — to point toward
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. rest — what's left
  6. can — a tin
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wake — a trail
  10. rest — a break
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. can — to be able to
  13. face — to confront
  14. saw — the tool
  15. can — a tin
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. sharp — clever
  22. rest — what's left
  23. face — part of the head
  24. saw — the tool

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