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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. cap — a hat
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. rest — what's left
  8. club — for dancing
  9. wound — an injury
  10. rest — what's left
  11. ball — a dance
  12. rule — government
  13. rule — a law
  14. club — for golf
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a lid
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. rest — a break
  21. ball — a great time
  22. club — a group
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. date — the fruit

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