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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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. rock — a stone
  4. can — a tin
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. can — a tin
  7. rest — a break
  8. can — to be able to
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rock — music
  11. tear — from crying
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rest — what's left
  15. tear — from crying
  16. rule — government
  17. row — a line
  18. shower — to wash
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. row — to paddle
  21. shower — rain
  22. rule — a law
  23. tear — to rip
  24. cabinet — ministers

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