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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. rule — government
  4. cap — a hat
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. cap — of ice
  7. land — ground
  8. rest — what's left
  9. land — to come down
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. toast — bread
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rest — a break
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. date — the fruit
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. land — a country
  20. cap — a lid
  21. fall — the season
  22. rule — a law
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. fall — to drop

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