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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. season — of the year
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. season — in sport
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. rule — government
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rule — a law

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