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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 116 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. The water is too ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. cold — not warm
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. rule — a law
  5. pit — a hole
  6. mark — a trace
  7. pit — in a race
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. current — of water
  10. season — of the year
  11. mark — a grade
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. current — happening now
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. branch — a division
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. cold — an illness
  19. rule — government
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. season — in sport
  22. current — electric
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. season — to add flavour

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