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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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Word bank
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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: cap · sharp · dip · chest · rule · bore · rush · can

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. cap — of ice
  4. dip — to sink
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. can — a tin
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. bore — to tire
  10. can — to be able to
  11. sharp — clever
  12. rush — hurry
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. chest — of your body
  15. cap — a lid
  16. can — a tin
  17. rule — government
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bore — to drill
  20. chest — a box
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. chest — of your body
  24. rule — a law

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