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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chip · cap · leaves · plane · cabinet · rule · current · bat

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. current — electric
  4. rule — government
  5. current — happening now
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — for betting
  8. rule — a law
  9. current — of water
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cap — a lid
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. chip — to eat
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. bat — the animal
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. cap — a hat
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. plane — a tool

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