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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — a break
  4. spring — the season
  5. kick — in football
  6. cap — a hat
  7. rule — a law
  8. cap — of ice
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. drill — the tool
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — to handle
  16. drill — a practice
  17. band — a music group
  18. band — a ring
  19. cap — a lid
  20. rest — what's left
  21. drill — army training
  22. rule — government
  23. spring — a coil
  24. spring — of water

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