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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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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: cell · pit · deal · wound · wake · band · cabinet · rule

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. band — a music group
  3. cell — in biology
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. wake — a trail
  6. pit — a hole
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. wound — an injury
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. pit — in a race
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. rule — government
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. cell — a phone
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. band — a ring
  20. rule — a law
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. deal — to handle

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