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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. drill — army training
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. drill — the tool
  6. shower — rain
  7. fall — the season
  8. can — to be able to
  9. fall — to drop
  10. rule — a law
  11. can — a tin
  12. rule — government
  13. drill — a practice
  14. fall — to drop
  15. can — a tin
  16. rash — a series
  17. object — an aim
  18. rash — hasty
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. shower — to wash
  23. object — to protest
  24. rash — on the skin

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