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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. cap — a lid
  5. track — a path
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a signal
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. cap — of ice
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. squash — to crush
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. squash — the sport
  15. rule — government
  16. track — to keep track
  17. cue — a hint
  18. chest — of your body
  19. track — a song
  20. chest — a box
  21. rule — a law
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. lie — to recline
  24. chest — of your body

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