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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. rule — government
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. rule — a law
  10. wake — a trail
  11. mine — for digging
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. prune — to trim
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. spell — a short time
  16. dip — to sink
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. lie — to recline
  19. spell — magic
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. prune — to trim
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. mine — an explosive

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