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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 116 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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  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. wave — a sudden rise
  2. hand — help
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. tube — the underground
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. tube — a container
  7. hand — in cards
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. rule — a law
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. sharp — clever
  18. chair — a leader
  19. charge — in control
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. charge — electricity
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. charge — a price
  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