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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. rule — a law
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. shower — rain
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. shower — to wash
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. rule — government
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. kick — in football
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bat — the animal

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