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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  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. cap — of ice
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. rule — government
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. cap — a hat
  9. kid — child
  10. march — music
  11. march — the month
  12. wound — an injury
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. cap — a lid
  16. kid — to tease
  17. rule — a law
  18. march — the month
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. wound — an injury
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. pass — a permit
  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