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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 124 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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. ground — a position
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. tube — a container
  8. hand — help
  9. ground — crushed
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. roll — a list
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. rash — hasty
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. rule — government
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. roll — a cake
  19. ground — the earth
  20. tube — the underground
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. rule — a law
  24. hand — in cards

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