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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: present · rest · squash · dip · cap · rule

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. present — the time now
  4. dip — to sink
  5. rest — what's left
  6. cap — of ice
  7. rule — a law
  8. squash — to crush
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — a lid
  12. rest — what's left
  13. squash — the sport
  14. rule — government
  15. rest — a break
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. present — there
  18. rule — to rule out

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