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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rash — hasty
  3. hand — in cards
  4. board — a committee
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — hurry
  8. season — in sport
  9. net — in sport
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. rule — government
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. board — to get on
  14. season — of the year
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. net — for catching
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. hand — help
  22. rule — a law
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. net — after costs

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