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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. rule — government
  3. clip — for paper
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. rule — a law
  7. kick — in football
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. clip — to cut
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. squash — the sport
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. squash — to crush
  17. rush — hurry
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. board — a committee
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. board — to get on
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. clip — a video
  24. kick — with a leg

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