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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. mug — a face
  3. rule — a law
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. present — the time now
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. object — to protest
  8. bat — the animal
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. present — there
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. rule — government
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. object — an aim
  18. mug — to rob
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. mug — a cup
  21. object — a thing
  22. present — a gift
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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