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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. spring — of water
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. lie — to recline
  8. rule — a law
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. rule — government
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bulb — for light
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. spring — the season
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. cap — of ice
  22. spring — a coil
  23. bulb — for light
  24. cap — a hat

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