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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 120 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. can — to be able to
  3. rush — hurry
  4. face — to confront
  5. face — part of the head
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. face — to point toward
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. bat — the animal
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. can — a tin
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. can — a tin
  17. dip — to sink
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pass — a permit
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. dip — to dunk

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