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

Word bank: pop · rule · present · hide · kick · capital · rest · stand

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. rest — what's left
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. present — the time now
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. rest — what's left
  8. stand — to bear
  9. capital — a city
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. kick — in football
  12. pop — soda
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. present — there
  15. rule — government
  16. rest — a break
  17. pop — music
  18. present — a gift
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. rule — a law
  23. capital — money
  24. pop — to visit

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