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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. key — in music
  3. kid — to tease
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. rule — government
  7. plane — a tool
  8. chest — of your body
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. chest — a box
  11. game — a match
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. key — the most important part
  15. kid — child
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rule — a law
  18. mark — a trace
  19. chest — of your body
  20. game — wild animals
  21. key — for a lock
  22. mark — a grade
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. mark — to pay attention

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