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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. charge — in control
  3. rule — government
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. saw — the tool
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. cap — a hat
  9. wound — an injury
  10. rush — hurry
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. spring — the season
  14. spring — a coil
  15. charge — electricity
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. charge — a price
  18. cap — a lid
  19. saw — the tool
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. wound — an injury
  23. rule — a law
  24. spring — of water

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