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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. rule — a law
  3. mine — for digging
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — a container
  7. cap — a hat
  8. dip — to sink
  9. ball — a great time
  10. rule — government
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. cap — of ice
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. cap — a lid
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. ball — a dance
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. nail — on a finger

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