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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. land — a country
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. clip — to cut
  6. clip — a video
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rule — a law
  12. rule — government
  13. clip — for paper
  14. bat — the animal
  15. fine — all right
  16. fine — high quality
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. rest — what's left
  20. land — ground
  21. land — to come down
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. safe — out of danger

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