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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — letters
  4. spell — magic
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. chest — a box
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. cap — a hat
  9. mark — a grade
  10. chest — of your body
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. fine — high quality
  15. chest — of your body
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. rule — a law
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rule — government
  20. cap — a lid
  21. mark — a trace
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. cap — of ice

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