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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. cap — a hat
  4. snap — to click
  5. rule — a law
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rule — government
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. kid — child
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. content — happy
  13. kid — to tease
  14. cap — a lid
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. content — the amount
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. craft — boats
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. rush — hurry
  22. craft — a skill
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. craft — a handicraft

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