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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. fall — to drop
  3. date — the fruit
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. fall — the season
  6. bear — the animal
  7. rule — government
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. spell — magic
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bear — the animal
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. roll — a cake
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rule — a law
  16. rest — a break
  17. spell — a short time
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. fall — to drop
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. spell — letters
  24. roll — a list

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