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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. rule — a law
  4. court — of a king
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. ball — a great time
  7. mate — a friend
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. ball — a dance
  11. wound — an injury
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. mate — a partner
  15. wake — a trail
  16. court — of law
  17. court — for sport
  18. mate — to breed
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. rule — government
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. wound — an injury

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