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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cap — a hat
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — music
  5. wake — a trail
  6. track — to keep track
  7. face — to confront
  8. present — there
  9. track — a song
  10. rule — government
  11. track — a path
  12. rock — a stone
  13. deal — to handle
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. present — a gift
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. face — to point toward
  19. rule — a law
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. face — part of the head
  22. cap — a lid
  23. present — the time now
  24. deal — a big deal

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