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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. squash — the sport
  3. cap — of ice
  4. rule — government
  5. squash — to crush
  6. wound — an injury
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. can — a tin
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. cap — a hat
  13. wound — an injury
  14. can — a tin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. cell — a phone
  17. rule — a law
  18. cell — in biology
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. pound — a weight
  24. can — to be able to

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