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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. rush — hurry
  3. kid — child
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rule — a law
  12. rule — government
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. cap — a lid
  17. kid — to tease
  18. cap — a hat
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. row — to paddle
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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