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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. hand — in cards
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. last — to go on
  8. hand — help
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. squash — the sport
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. squash — to crush
  16. last — final
  17. rule — a law
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. rule — government
  21. sharp — clever
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. last — finally
  24. coach — a trainer

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