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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. rule — government
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. press — to push
  8. hand — help
  9. rule — a law
  10. press — newspapers
  11. cap — a lid
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. foot — a measure
  14. cap — of ice
  15. prune — to trim
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. press — a publisher
  21. hand — in cards
  22. prune — to trim
  23. cap — a hat
  24. hand — part of the body

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