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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. stand — to bear
  3. bulb — for light
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. cap — of ice
  6. fine — all right
  7. rule — a law
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bulb — for light
  12. net — after costs
  13. file — a line of people
  14. cap — a hat
  15. fine — high quality
  16. file — a document
  17. cap — a lid
  18. file — a tool
  19. rule — government
  20. net — for catching
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. net — in sport
  24. stand — on your feet

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