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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rule · cell · ruler · kid · press · cabinet

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. rule — a law
  3. press — newspapers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. press — to push
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cell — in biology
  9. rule — government
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. cell — a phone
  15. kid — to tease
  16. press — a publisher
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rule — to rule out

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