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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 120 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: wake · pass · cabinet · ruler · rule · content · dip · bowl

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. rule — government
  4. content — the amount
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. rule — a law
  10. dip — to sink
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. content — happy
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. pass — a permit
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. wake — a trail

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