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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. staff — employees
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. staff — a stick
  5. cold — not warm
  6. tube — a container
  7. rule — a law
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. tube — the underground
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. staff — employees
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. rule — government
  14. march — music
  15. bulb — for light
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. cold — an illness
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. deal — to handle
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. march — the month
  24. rule — to rule out

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