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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 · board · mouse · wave · lie · mine · snap · cabinet

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. board — to get on
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. snap — to click
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. mine — for digging
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. lie — to recline
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rule — a law
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. board — a committee
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. mine — belonging to me

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