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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: cap · bat · cabinet · chip · rest · mug · present · rush

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bat — the animal
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. chip — for betting
  9. cap — of ice
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. chip — to eat
  12. present — the time now
  13. present — there
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. present — a gift
  16. rush — hurry
  17. mug — a cup
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. mug — a face
  20. rest — what's left
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. cap — a hat
  23. rest — a break
  24. mug — to rob

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