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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. rule — a law
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cap — a lid
  5. rule — government
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. object — a thing
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. object — to protest
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. cap — of ice
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. mine — for digging
  16. object — an aim
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. nail — for a hammer

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