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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. bat — the animal
  5. band — a music group
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. rule — a law
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mine — for digging
  13. cap — a hat
  14. object — a thing
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. cap — of ice
  17. object — an aim
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. rule — government
  22. object — to protest
  23. band — a ring
  24. cabinet — ministers

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