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

Word bank: cabinet · bowl · pit · mate · board · leaves · saw · snap

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — to get on
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. mate — a friend
  9. snap — to click
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. pit — a hole
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. mate — to breed
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. mate — a partner
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. pit — in a race

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