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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. kid — to tease
  3. cap — a lid
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. cap — of ice
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. chip — to eat
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. rule — a law
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. rule — government
  16. wax — to grow
  17. chip — for betting
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. bound — tied together
  20. kid — child
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bound — certain
  23. bound — obliged
  24. cap — a hat

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