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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. mate — to breed
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. rule — a law
  12. rule — government
  13. mate — a friend
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. scale — size or range
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. mate — a partner
  19. squash — the sport
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. kick — in football
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. scale — in music

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