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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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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: chair · cabinet · wave · pit · march · nail · mug · ruler

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. mug — a cup
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. mug — a face
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. mug — to rob
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. march — the month
  14. pit — in a race
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. chair — a leader
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. march — music
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — a hole
  23. march — the month
  24. cabinet — ministers

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