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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. 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. cell — in a prison
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. rule — a law
  4. bat — the animal
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. rock — music
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — moving air
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. cell — a phone
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. rock — a stone
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. cell — in biology
  24. 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