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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. court — of law
  3. board — to get on
  4. last — to go on
  5. squash — the sport
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. last — final
  11. court — of a king
  12. squash — to crush
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. court — for sport
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. tube — the underground
  18. rule — government
  19. rule — a law
  20. board — a committee
  21. last — finally
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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