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

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. kick — in football
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. rule — a law
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. mine — for digging
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. rule — government
  18. mine — an explosive

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