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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. scale — size or range
  3. staff — a stick
  4. stock — goods
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hand — in cards
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rest — what's left
  9. lie — to recline
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. staff — employees
  12. rest — a break
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. stock — shares
  16. scale — in music
  17. hand — help
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. staff — employees
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. rest — what's left

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