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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 116 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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. charge — electricity
  4. rule — a law
  5. charge — in control
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. spell — magic
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. spell — letters
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. board — to get on
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. board — a committee
  16. squash — to crush
  17. charge — a price
  18. rule — government
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. spell — a short time
  23. squash — the sport
  24. squash — the vegetable

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