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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. cap — of ice
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. rule — government
  6. land — ground
  7. cap — a lid
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bore — to drill
  10. band — a music group
  11. ground — the earth
  12. band — a ring
  13. cap — a hat
  14. plane — a tool
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. rest — what's left
  17. ground — a position
  18. land — a country
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. rest — a break
  21. rule — a law
  22. land — to come down
  23. ground — crushed
  24. bore — gave birth

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