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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rule · bass · cap · cell · firm · lie

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. lie — to recline
  3. cap — a hat
  4. rule — government
  5. firm — steady
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. cell — a phone
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. cap — a lid
  11. rule — a law
  12. firm — a company
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bass — low music
  15. firm — decided
  16. cell — in biology
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. cap — of ice

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