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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. saw — the tool
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. court — of law
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. saw — the tool
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. court — for sport
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. court — of a king
  14. face — to confront
  15. face — part of the head
  16. band — a ring
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. band — a music group
  19. face — to point toward
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. fork — in a road
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. band — a rubber band

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