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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rule — a law
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. pass — a permit
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. tube — a container
  9. stem — to come from
  10. rule — government
  11. face — to point toward
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. face — part of the head
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. lie — to recline
  21. face — to confront
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — the underground
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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