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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. rule — a law
  3. season — of the year
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. bore — to tire
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. board — a committee
  9. pit — a hole
  10. rash — a series
  11. rule — government
  12. kid — to tease
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. board — to get on
  15. bore — to drill
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. rash — hasty
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. kid — child
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. pit — in a race
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. bore — gave birth

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