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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. hand — help
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. fall — to drop
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. face — part of the head
  10. rule — a law
  11. face — to confront
  12. rule — government
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. hand — in cards
  15. staff — a stick
  16. staff — employees
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. fall — the season
  19. staff — employees
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. present — a gift
  22. face — to point toward
  23. fall — to drop
  24. present — there

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