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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. degree — an amount
  4. drill — the tool
  5. rock — a stone
  6. chest — a box
  7. drill — a practice
  8. drill — army training
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. suit — in cards
  12. suit — to fit
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. rock — music
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. degree — temperature
  18. branch — a division
  19. suit — clothes
  20. degree — from a university
  21. chest — of your body
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. chest — of your body
  24. cabinet — ministers

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