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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: cabinet · branch · kick · chair · sharp · rule · cell · ball

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. ball — a great time
  10. cell — in biology
  11. branch — a division
  12. rule — government
  13. kick — in football
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. ball — a dance
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. rule — a law
  18. cell — a phone
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. sharp — clever
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. chair — a leader

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