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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 120 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 · rule · hand · calf · snap · bulb · press · hide

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. cap — of ice
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. press — a publisher
  5. press — newspapers
  6. cap — a hat
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. snap — to click
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. cap — a lid
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. rule — a law
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. press — to push
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. hand — help
  20. bulb — for light
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rule — government

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