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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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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: suit · object · kid · face · cabinet · wake · foot · wound

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. suit — to fit
  5. object — an aim
  6. kid — child
  7. foot — a measure
  8. face — to confront
  9. kid — to tease
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. object — to protest
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — an injury
  15. face — part of the head
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. suit — in cards
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. wake — a trail
  20. suit — clothes
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. object — a thing
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. face — to point toward

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