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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. fine — all right
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. rule — a law
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. rush — hurry
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — magic
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. spell — a short time
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. fine — high quality
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. rule — government
  24. cap — a hat

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