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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. lean — thin
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. court — for sport
  6. rest — what's left
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. rest — a break
  9. rest — what's left
  10. court — of law
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. kid — child
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rule — government
  15. cap — a hat
  16. court — of a king
  17. cap — a lid
  18. lean — to bend
  19. rule — a law
  20. cap — of ice
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. rash — hasty
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. kid — to tease

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