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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 · kick · cap · fall · pop · toast

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cap — a hat
  4. toast — bread
  5. fall — to drop
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. pop — music
  8. fall — to drop
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. pop — soda
  11. kick — in football
  12. fall — the season
  13. rule — a law
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. cap — a lid
  16. pop — to visit
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. kick — with a leg

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