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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: kid · row · pop · mug · track · object · fall · cabinet

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. mug — a cup
  3. fall — to drop
  4. kid — child
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pop — soda
  7. pop — music
  8. track — a path
  9. fall — to drop
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. object — to protest
  12. mug — to rob
  13. object — a thing
  14. row — to paddle
  15. mug — a face
  16. kid — to tease
  17. track — a song
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. object — an aim
  20. fall — the season
  21. track — to keep track
  22. pop — to visit
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. row — a line

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