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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. pit — in a race
  3. stand — to bear
  4. race — the arms race
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. race — a contest
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cap — a hat
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. cap — a lid
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. race — humankind
  18. shower — rain
  19. shower — to wash
  20. wake — a trail
  21. rule — a law
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pass — a permit
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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