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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. band — a ring
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. season — of the year
  10. rash — hasty
  11. saw — the tool
  12. suit — to fit
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. rule — a law
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. band — a music group
  18. rule — government
  19. suit — clothes
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. rash — a series
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. season — in sport
  24. hide — animal skin

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