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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 116 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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. rule — government
  3. present — the time now
  4. cap — a hat
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. land — a country
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. cap — of ice
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. land — ground
  13. cap — a lid
  14. hand — help
  15. land — to come down
  16. present — there
  17. rest — a break
  18. stand — to bear
  19. rule — a law
  20. rest — what's left
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. rest — what's left
  23. present — a gift
  24. stand — on your feet

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