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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. rule — a law
  3. chip — to eat
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. object — to protest
  8. object — an aim
  9. rule — government
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. bat — the animal
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. stem — to come from
  14. race — a contest
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. saw — the tool
  17. chip — for betting
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. race — the arms race
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. object — a thing
  23. saw — the tool
  24. race — humankind

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