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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. press — a publisher
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. shower — rain
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. last — finally
  8. date — the fruit
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. track — to keep track
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. last — final
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. ball — a great time
  15. press — to push
  16. ball — a dance
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. shower — to wash
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. last — to go on
  22. track — a path
  23. track — a song
  24. press — newspapers

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