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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. staff — a stick
  3. cap — a lid
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. tube — the underground
  6. cap — of ice
  7. ground — the earth
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. staff — employees
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. ground — crushed
  13. staff — employees
  14. ground — a position
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. wake — a trail
  18. rule — a law
  19. cap — a hat
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. season — of the year
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. tube — a container
  24. season — in sport

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