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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: staff · cabinet · bat · lie · squash · cap · court · safe

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. squash — to crush
  4. staff — employees
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. cap — a hat
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. court — for sport
  10. court — of law
  11. staff — a stick
  12. staff — employees
  13. lie — to recline
  14. cap — of ice
  15. bat — the animal
  16. squash — the sport
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. court — of a king
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cap — a lid
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. safe — out of danger

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