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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. fall — to drop
  3. game — wild animals
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. mark — a trace
  8. wax — to grow
  9. fall — the season
  10. game — a match
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. spell — a short time
  13. spell — magic
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. mark — a grade
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. spell — letters
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. fall — to drop

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