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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. bank — for money
  3. bear — the animal
  4. rule — government
  5. pop — soda
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. cap — of ice
  8. bank — for money
  9. cap — a hat
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. pop — to visit
  14. bank — of a river
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. pop — music
  17. rule — a law
  18. tube — a container
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bear — the animal
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. tube — the underground
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. cap — a lid

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