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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 120 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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. rule — government
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — in sport
  7. cap — a hat
  8. march — the month
  9. rule — a law
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. march — the month
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. snap — to click
  16. ball — a dance
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. march — music
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. cap — a lid
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. ball — a great time

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