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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. cue — a hint
  4. face — part of the head
  5. fall — the season
  6. last — finally
  7. pit — a hole
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — to drop
  11. face — to confront
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — to get on
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. pit — in a race
  16. last — to go on
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cue — a signal
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. cue — for pool
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. cap — a lid
  23. face — to point toward
  24. last — final

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