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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 · cell · deal · saw · land · band · pass · rule

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. land — a country
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. land — ground
  6. rule — government
  7. land — to come down
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. rule — a law
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. deal — to handle
  12. cell — in biology
  13. band — a music group
  14. cell — a phone
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. band — a ring
  19. pass — a permit
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. saw — the tool
  24. deal — an agreement

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