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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. fine — all right
  3. last — finally
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. deal — to handle
  9. capital — money
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. last — to go on
  17. last — final
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. fine — high quality
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. chair — a leader
  24. capital — a city

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