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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rule · suit · charge · cabinet · lie · lash · stock · mine

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. mine — for digging
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. rule — government
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. charge — a price
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. charge — electricity
  13. suit — clothes
  14. suit — to fit
  15. suit — in cards
  16. rule — a law
  17. charge — in control
  18. stock — shares
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. stock — goods
  24. lie — to recline

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