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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 124 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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. chip — for betting
  3. cap — of ice
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. sharp — clever
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. cap — a lid
  13. snap — to click
  14. vault — a safe
  15. rush — hurry
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. chip — to eat
  18. board — a committee
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. cap — a hat
  21. board — to get on
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. sharp — exactly

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