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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.

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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 · cell · present · spell · lie · drill · key · rule

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. key — the most important part
  4. spell — a short time
  5. drill — a practice
  6. rule — a law
  7. rule — government
  8. cell — in biology
  9. drill — the tool
  10. spell — letters
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. present — the time now
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. present — a gift
  15. key — for a lock
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. lie — to recline
  19. present — there
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. key — in music
  23. drill — army training
  24. spell — magic

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