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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. chest — of your body
  3. rule — government
  4. land — a country
  5. chest — of your body
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. chest — a box
  11. shower — to wash
  12. cap — a lid
  13. rock — music
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. shower — rain
  16. cap — a hat
  17. rock — a stone
  18. land — to come down
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. cap — of ice
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rule — a law
  24. land — ground

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