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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cap — a lid
  4. lie — to recline
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bass — low music
  7. cap — a hat
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. mine — for digging
  10. rule — a law
  11. bass — the fish
  12. wind — moving air
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. wind — moving air
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. rule — government
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. sharp — clever
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. sharp — exactly

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