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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. current — happening now
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. cap — a hat
  10. chip — to eat
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. chip — for betting
  15. rule — a law
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. current — of water
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. cap — of ice
  20. bulb — for light
  21. cap — a lid
  22. rule — government
  23. bulb — for light
  24. current — electric

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