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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. mate — to breed
  3. rule — a law
  4. deal — to handle
  5. kick — in football
  6. cold — not warm
  7. bound — certain
  8. bound — obliged
  9. mate — a partner
  10. cold — an illness
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. bulb — for light
  14. cap — a hat
  15. rule — government
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. bound — tied together
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. bulb — for light
  23. cap — of ice
  24. mate — a friend

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