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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rule — government
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — to recline
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. band — a music group
  14. deal — to handle
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. band — a ring
  19. stem — to come from
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. chair — a leader
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. snap — to click
  24. stem — a stem cell

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