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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. cap — of ice
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. rule — government
  7. deal — to handle
  8. current — of water
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. stem — to come from
  11. tear — from crying
  12. saw — the tool
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. tear — from crying
  16. current — happening now
  17. rule — a law
  18. tear — to rip
  19. cap — a hat
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. current — electric
  22. cap — a lid
  23. saw — the tool
  24. jam — in traffic

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