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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 120 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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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. cabinet — ministers
  4. clip — a video
  5. can — to be able to
  6. kick — in football
  7. land — to come down
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. fall — to drop
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. land — a country
  12. cell — in biology
  13. land — ground
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. fall — the season
  16. object — a thing
  17. can — a tin
  18. clip — to cut
  19. object — an aim
  20. clip — for paper
  21. fall — to drop
  22. object — to protest
  23. cell — a phone
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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