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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. cap — a lid
  3. rule — government
  4. cap — a hat
  5. season — of the year
  6. rest — what's left
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. chip — to eat
  9. cap — of ice
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. rule — a law
  12. season — in sport
  13. mate — a partner
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. wound — an injury
  19. mate — a friend
  20. rest — what's left
  21. chip — for betting
  22. rest — a break
  23. chair — a leader
  24. mate — to breed

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