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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. key — in music
  4. can — to be able to
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. can — a tin
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. band — a ring
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. can — a tin
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. band — a music group
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. foot — a measure
  17. rule — government
  18. key — for a lock
  19. rule — a law
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. key — the most important part
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cap — a lid

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