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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. rule — a law
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. object — a thing
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. court — for sport
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bound — certain
  13. object — to protest
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. perch — the fish
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. object — an aim
  18. bound — tied together
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. court — of law
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bound — obliged
  23. rule — government
  24. court — of a king

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