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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. ball — a dance
  3. rule — a law
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mate — to breed
  6. rest — what's left
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mate — a friend
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. ball — a great time
  11. object — to protest
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. object — an aim
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rest — a break
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. object — a thing
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. rule — government
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. band — a music group
  24. band — a ring

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