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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 120 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. rule — a law
  6. spring — of water
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pop — soda
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. spring — the season
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pop — music
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. pitch — completely
  21. rule — government
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. plane — a tool
  24. spring — a coil

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