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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 116 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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. key — the most important part
  9. mug — a face
  10. cell — a phone
  11. rock — a stone
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. key — in music
  17. key — for a lock
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. rock — music
  21. mug — a cup
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. cell — in biology

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