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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  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. coach — pulled by horses
  2. fine — all right
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. plane — a tool
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. cap — of ice
  11. rule — government
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. kid — child
  17. pass — a permit
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fine — high quality
  20. rule — a law
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. kid — to tease
  23. cap — a lid
  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