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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. tear — to rip
  3. pop — to visit
  4. tear — from crying
  5. cue — for pool
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. cap — a hat
  8. squash — the sport
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. cue — a signal
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. cap — a lid
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. tear — from crying
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. cue — a hint
  19. squash — to crush
  20. pop — soda
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pop — music
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — to cool the air

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