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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. cap — a lid
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rule — a law
  6. tube — a container
  7. cap — a hat
  8. pop — soda
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. rest — what's left
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — letters
  13. pop — music
  14. cap — of ice
  15. rest — a break
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. tube — the underground
  18. face — part of the head
  19. pop — to visit
  20. face — to point toward
  21. face — to confront
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. rule — government
  24. spell — a short time

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