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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. rule — government
  7. can — to be able to
  8. scale — size or range
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. can — a tin
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — a price
  15. rule — a law
  16. lean — thin
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. scale — in music
  21. lean — to bend
  22. can — a tin
  23. charge — electricity
  24. cabinet — ministers

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