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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. ball — a dance
  3. firm — a company
  4. rule — a law
  5. firm — steady
  6. season — in sport
  7. tear — from crying
  8. rule — government
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cap — of ice
  11. firm — decided
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cue — for pool
  16. ball — a great time
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. cap — a hat
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tear — from crying
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. season — of the year
  24. rule — to rule out

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