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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. bat — the animal
  3. rule — a law
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. cell — a phone
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. deal — to handle
  9. cell — in biology
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. rule — government
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. hand — help
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. hand — in cards
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bat — for baseball

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