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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. suit — to fit
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. suit — clothes
  6. face — to confront
  7. rule — government
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. club — a group
  11. club — for golf
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. face — to point toward
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rule — a law
  20. face — part of the head
  21. rash — a series
  22. wake — a trail
  23. suit — in cards
  24. club — for dancing

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