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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. degree — from a university
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. charge — a price
  8. charge — electricity
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. toast — bread
  11. spell — letters
  12. rule — government
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. spell — a short time
  15. spell — magic
  16. degree — temperature
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. stem — to come from
  19. charge — in control
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. degree — an amount
  23. rule — a law
  24. rule — to rule out

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