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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: cap · stand · rule · last · bear · bulb · snap · rest

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. rule — a law
  3. bear — the animal
  4. cap — a hat
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. rest — a break
  7. cap — of ice
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — what's left
  13. cap — a lid
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. last — final
  16. rule — government
  17. bulb — for light
  18. snap — to click
  19. bear — the animal
  20. stand — to bear
  21. last — finally
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. last — to go on

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