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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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 — a law
  5. spring — a coil
  6. net — in sport
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. spring — the season
  9. net — for catching
  10. object — a thing
  11. current — electric
  12. current — happening now
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. current — of water
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. spring — of water
  18. rule — government
  19. object — an aim
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. object — to protest
  22. net — after costs
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. wind — moving air

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