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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 120 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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. rule — government
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. hand — help
  5. rush — hurry
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. rule — a law
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bore — to drill
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. key — the most important part
  17. hand — in cards
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. key — for a lock
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bore — to tire
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. rule — to rule out

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