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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rule — government
  4. branch — a division
  5. march — the month
  6. tube — the underground
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. march — the month
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. rule — a law
  11. chip — to eat
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. march — music
  15. chip — for betting
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. tube — a container
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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