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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. drill — the tool
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. band — a ring
  7. spring — of water
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. spring — the season
  11. band — a music group
  12. drill — army training
  13. mate — a friend
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. mate — a partner
  17. drill — a practice
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. spring — a coil
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — the underground
  24. ruler — a monarch

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