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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. foot — a measure
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. charge — a price
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. cold — an illness
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. charge — in control
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. charge — electricity
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. cold — not warm
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. coach — a trainer

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