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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 116 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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. cap — of ice
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. shower — rain
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. shower — to wash
  11. hand — in cards
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. cap — a hat
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. rule — government
  17. cap — a lid
  18. rash — a series
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. deal — to handle
  22. hand — help
  23. rule — a law
  24. deal — an agreement

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