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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wound · cabinet · sharp · foot · object · ball · jam · spell

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. sharp — clever
  5. foot — a measure
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. object — a thing
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. wound — an injury
  14. object — an aim
  15. spell — letters
  16. ball — a dance
  17. wound — an injury
  18. spell — magic
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. spell — a short time
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. object — to protest

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