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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. land — a country
  7. rule — government
  8. cap — a lid
  9. rule — a law
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. land — ground
  12. tear — to rip
  13. cap — a hat
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. squash — the sport
  16. tear — from crying
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. tear — from crying
  21. squash — to crush
  22. cap — of ice
  23. land — to come down
  24. stand — for spectators

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