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

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. rule — a law
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mine — for digging
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. plane — a tool
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. ball — a dance
  16. rule — government
  17. rush — hurry
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. ball — a great time
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. dip — to sink

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