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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. stand — to bear
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cap — a lid
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. roll — a cake
  13. chip — to eat
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. roll — a list
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. sharp — clever
  18. chip — for betting
  19. rule — a law
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. cap — a hat
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. rule — government

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