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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. ball — a dance
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mate — a friend
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. ball — a great time
  10. rule — government
  11. hand — in cards
  12. season — of the year
  13. mate — a partner
  14. season — in sport
  15. hand — help
  16. plane — a tool
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. rule — a law
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. mate — to breed
  24. plane — an aircraft

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