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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. cap — a hat
  3. face — to point toward
  4. rule — a law
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. stand — to bear
  7. rule — government
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. club — for dancing
  10. cap — a lid
  11. spring — the season
  12. face — to confront
  13. bulb — for light
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. club — for golf
  17. club — a group
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. spring — of water
  20. pound — a weight
  21. spring — a coil
  22. bulb — for light
  23. cap — of ice
  24. face — part of the head

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