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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. rule — government
  3. cap — a lid
  4. prune — to trim
  5. cap — a hat
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — to drop
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. rule — a law
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. cap — of ice
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. mark — a trace
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pound — a weight
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bound — obliged
  21. prune — to trim
  22. fall — the season
  23. bound — certain
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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