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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: snap · tube · season · scale · cabinet · lie · prune · rule

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. scale — size or range
  3. lie — to recline
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. tube — a container
  8. scale — in music
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. prune — to trim
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. snap — to click
  17. rule — government
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. tube — the underground
  20. season — of the year
  21. rule — a law
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. season — in sport
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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