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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. lean — thin
  3. spell — a short time
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. lean — to bend
  8. spell — letters
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. suit — to fit
  12. suit — in cards
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. rule — government
  15. mine — for digging
  16. spell — magic
  17. chair — a leader
  18. rock — music
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. rock — a stone
  22. suit — clothes
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. rule — a law

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