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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. staff — a stick
  5. ball — a great time
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. wax — to grow
  9. staff — employees
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. ball — a dance
  14. cell — a phone
  15. rule — a law
  16. rule — government
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. staff — employees
  19. fork — in a road
  20. lie — to recline
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. fork — to eat with

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