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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. cell — in biology
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. ground — the earth
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. pass — a permit
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. plane — a tool
  15. cap — a hat
  16. ground — crushed
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. rule — a law
  20. cap — a lid
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. cell — a phone
  23. rule — government
  24. ground — a position

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