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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. cap — of ice
  4. craft — a skill
  5. cap — a hat
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. craft — boats
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. spring — a coil
  10. spring — the season
  11. bore — to drill
  12. rule — a law
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. bore — to tire
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. rule — government
  20. season — of the year
  21. sharp — clever
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. spring — of water
  24. rule — to rule out

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