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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: cabinet · squash · rock · mine · land · stick · clip · firm

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. clip — for paper
  3. clip — a video
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. land — ground
  8. firm — decided
  9. mine — for digging
  10. land — a country
  11. clip — to cut
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. firm — steady
  14. squash — the sport
  15. land — to come down
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rock — a stone
  18. firm — a company
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. squash — to crush
  24. rock — music

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