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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. pop — soda
  5. pop — to visit
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wound — an injury
  8. rule — a law
  9. track — a song
  10. wound — an injury
  11. firm — decided
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. track — to keep track
  14. rule — government
  15. clip — a video
  16. pop — music
  17. clip — to cut
  18. snap — to click
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. track — a path
  22. firm — a company
  23. clip — for paper
  24. firm — steady

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