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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rash — a series
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. degree — an amount
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. sharp — clever
  12. degree — from a university
  13. rash — hasty
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. rule — government
  18. degree — temperature
  19. dip — to sink
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. rash — on the skin

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