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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mate — a partner
  5. root — of a plant
  6. ball — a great time
  7. season — in sport
  8. wound — an injury
  9. root — the cause
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. root — of a word
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. ball — a dance
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pass — a permit
  21. mate — a friend
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. season — of the year

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