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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. file — a tool
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. cap — of ice
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. cap — a lid
  11. rule — a law
  12. press — a publisher
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. rule — government
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. date — the fruit
  17. file — a line of people
  18. file — a document
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. press — to push
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. press — newspapers
  24. cap — a hat

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