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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. bat — the animal
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. rule — government
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. rock — music
  11. cap — a lid
  12. rule — a law
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. stem — to come from
  22. rock — a stone
  23. cap — of ice
  24. calf — a young animal

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