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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. rule — a law
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. tube — a container
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. tube — the underground
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ball — a dance
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. rule — government
  22. bat — the animal
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. leaves — lets stay

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