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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 · mug · fork · lie · rule · mine · chip · pass

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. mug — a cup
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. pass — a permit
  6. chip — for betting
  7. mug — to rob
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. mug — a face
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. chip — to eat
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mine — for digging
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. lie — to recline
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. fork — in a road
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. rule — a law
  24. rule — government

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