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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 116 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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. pop — music
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. lie — to recline
  5. cue — a signal
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. pop — to visit
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. row — to paddle
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cue — a hint
  15. scale — size or range
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. pop — soda
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. scale — in music
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. row — a line
  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