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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. rule — government
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. rule — a law
  8. deal — to handle
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. stem — to come from
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. snap — to click
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. land — ground
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. land — a country
  24. land — to come down

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