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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 120 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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. rule — government
  4. stand — to bear
  5. cap — a lid
  6. race — a contest
  7. deal — to handle
  8. race — the arms race
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. wound — an injury
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. board — a committee
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. cap — of ice
  16. race — humankind
  17. wound — an injury
  18. rule — a law
  19. board — to get on
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. deal — a big deal

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