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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. object — an aim
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. rule — government
  6. court — of law
  7. rule — a law
  8. object — a thing
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. court — for sport
  14. face — part of the head
  15. face — to confront
  16. object — to protest
  17. mark — a grade
  18. face — to point toward
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. court — of a king
  22. mark — a trace
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. calf — a young animal

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