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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. lean — to bend
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. charge — in control
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. wake — a trail
  13. rule — government
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. charge — electricity
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. rule — a law
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. charge — a price
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. lean — thin
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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