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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 116 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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. firm — steady
  3. rest — a break
  4. firm — a company
  5. firm — decided
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. rule — a law
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. cold — an illness
  13. rest — what's left
  14. cap — a hat
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. cold — not warm
  18. object — to protest
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. object — an aim
  21. object — a thing
  22. rule — government
  23. rest — what's left
  24. hide — animal skin

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