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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. band — a music group
  4. drill — the tool
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. can — a tin
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. rule — government
  11. band — a ring
  12. drill — army training
  13. rule — a law
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. drill — a practice
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. spell — a short time
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. spell — magic
  24. rule — to rule out

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