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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. spell — letters
  3. cap — a lid
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. bank — of a river
  8. cap — a hat
  9. spell — magic
  10. mine — for digging
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. spell — a short time
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. cap — of ice
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bank — for money
  20. wax — to grow
  21. bank — for money
  22. rule — a law
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. hide — animal skin

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