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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. hand — in cards
  3. hand — help
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. key — the most important part
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. key — for a lock
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. key — in music
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. rule — a law
  18. rule — government

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