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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. mark — a trace
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. mark — a grade
  10. object — to protest
  11. lie — to recline
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rule — government
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. rule — a law
  16. object — an aim
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. land — a country
  19. object — a thing
  20. branch — a division
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. land — to come down
  24. land — ground

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