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

Word bank: cabinet · leaves · trunk · cell · rule · charge · kid · ground

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ground — the earth
  4. cell — a phone
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. kid — to tease
  7. rule — government
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. charge — electricity
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. kid — child
  13. cell — in biology
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. rule — a law
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. ground — a position
  21. charge — a price
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. leaves — lets stay

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