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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: kick · bat · rule · snap · rash · cabinet · tube · present

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. present — there
  5. rash — a series
  6. rule — a law
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. tube — a container
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. present — a gift
  12. present — the time now
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. kick — in football
  15. rule — government
  16. bat — the animal
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. rash — hasty
  22. snap — to click
  23. tube — the underground
  24. cabinet — ministers

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