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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. last — final
  4. fall — to drop
  5. staff — a stick
  6. staff — employees
  7. bound — certain
  8. mark — a trace
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. last — finally
  11. kick — in football
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. bound — obliged
  14. mark — a grade
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. fall — the season
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. staff — employees
  23. last — to go on
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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