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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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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. rule — government
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. ball — a great time
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. ball — a dance
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. drill — army training
  9. current — happening now
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. drill — a practice
  12. current — electric
  13. present — a gift
  14. present — the time now
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. rule — a law
  17. current — of water
  18. drill — the tool

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