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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. rule — government
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. cold — an illness
  6. snap — to click
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rule — a law
  10. cap — of ice
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. cold — not warm
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. foot — a measure
  19. cap — a hat
  20. track — a song
  21. cap — a lid
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. track — to keep track
  24. track — a path

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