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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. stand — to bear
  5. net — in sport
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. rule — government
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. cap — a lid
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — after costs
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rule — a law
  20. mark — a grade
  21. kick — in football
  22. cap — a hat
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. mark — a trace

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