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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. rest — what's left
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. present — a gift
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rule — government
  7. present — there
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bass — the fish
  10. land — ground
  11. rule — a law
  12. clip — to cut
  13. rest — a break
  14. land — a country
  15. clip — a video
  16. bass — low music
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cap — of ice
  19. present — the time now
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. land — to come down
  24. clip — for paper

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