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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. wind — moving air
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. mate — a friend
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. rest — a break
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. rule — a law
  10. perch — the fish
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. drill — a practice
  14. root — the cause
  15. mate — a partner
  16. wind — moving air
  17. root — of a word
  18. drill — the tool
  19. rule — government
  20. rest — what's left
  21. mate — to breed
  22. drill — army training
  23. rest — what's left
  24. root — of a plant

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