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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. vault — a safe
  6. rule — government
  7. can — a tin
  8. sharp — clever
  9. swing — music
  10. swing — to play on
  11. hand — in cards
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. hand — help
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. pit — in a race
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pit — a hole
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. can — to be able to
  23. rule — a law
  24. swing — in golf

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