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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: cabinet · cell · craft · mine · staff · perch · dip · toast

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. dip — to sink
  3. staff — a stick
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. craft — a skill
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. staff — employees
  10. cell — a phone
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. staff — employees
  13. mine — for digging
  14. cell — in biology
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — boats
  21. perch — the fish
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. toast — bread

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