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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. staff — employees
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. band — a ring
  9. deal — to handle
  10. season — of the year
  11. staff — employees
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. band — a music group
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. season — in sport
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. staff — a stick
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. ruler — for measuring

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