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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 120 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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. cap — a hat
  3. drill — a practice
  4. cap — a lid
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. craft — a skill
  8. kick — in football
  9. drill — army training
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. spell — a short time
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. spell — letters
  15. rule — a law
  16. rule — government
  17. spell — magic
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. cap — of ice
  20. drill — the tool
  21. craft — boats
  22. rush — hurry
  23. wax — to grow
  24. craft — a handicraft

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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