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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. cap — a hat
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. cap — a lid
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. rule — government
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. swing — music
  11. spell — magic
  12. bear — the animal
  13. spell — a short time
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. cap — of ice
  16. swing — in golf
  17. rule — a law
  18. spell — letters
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. bear — the animal
  22. swing — to play on
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ball — a great time

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