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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. lean — thin
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. bat — the animal
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. rule — a law
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. fine — high quality
  12. stem — to come from
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. can — a tin
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rule — government
  19. lean — to bend
  20. fine — all right
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. date — the fruit
  24. can — a tin

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