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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. spring — the season
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. spring — a coil
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. staff — a stick
  8. race — a contest
  9. kid — child
  10. kid — to tease
  11. race — the arms race
  12. object — to protest
  13. staff — employees
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. cue — for pool
  18. race — humankind
  19. spring — of water
  20. bat — the animal
  21. object — an aim
  22. cue — a signal
  23. object — a thing
  24. staff — employees

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