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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. fall — the season
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cap — of ice
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bore — to drill
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rule — a law
  12. bore — to tire
  13. fall — to drop
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. rule — government
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. cap — a lid
  24. scale — in music

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