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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 124 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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. rule — a law
  3. squash — to crush
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cold — an illness
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cold — not warm
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. rule — government
  21. squash — the sport
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. cap — a hat

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