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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. suit — in cards
  3. pit — in a race
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. face — to confront
  7. board — a committee
  8. face — part of the head
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. spring — of water
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. spring — the season
  13. spring — a coil
  14. rule — a law
  15. rule — government
  16. pit — a hole
  17. suit — to fit
  18. suit — clothes
  19. staff — employees
  20. face — to point toward
  21. staff — employees
  22. board — to get on
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. staff — a stick

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