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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 120 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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cell — in biology
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. mine — for digging
  8. cell — a phone
  9. pit — a hole
  10. cap — a hat
  11. rule — a law
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. bulb — for light
  14. pit — in a race
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cap — of ice
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. deal — to handle
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. hide — to keep secret

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