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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. bear — the animal
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. kick — in football
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. race — the arms race
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. last — finally
  11. rule — a law
  12. last — final
  13. dip — to sink
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a lid
  16. race — humankind
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. bear — the animal
  19. cap — a hat
  20. rule — government
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. race — a contest

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