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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 · bulb · mate · rule · band · dip · arm · lie

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. bulb — for light
  3. mate — a friend
  4. rule — a law
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. mate — to breed
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rule — government
  13. band — a ring
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. band — a music group
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. dip — to sink
  19. bulb — for light
  20. mate — a partner
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. lie — an untruth

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