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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. lie — to recline
  3. rash — hasty
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. clip — a video
  8. capital — money
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. clip — to cut
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. scale — in music
  17. capital — a city
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. rash — a series
  21. scale — size or range
  22. stem — to come from
  23. clip — for paper
  24. cue — for pool

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