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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 was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. rule — a law
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. race — the arms race
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. key — in music
  9. band — a music group
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — in sport
  13. race — humankind
  14. band — a ring
  15. fork — in a road
  16. race — a contest
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. rule — government
  19. key — for a lock
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. key — the most important part
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. stem — to come from

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