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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. season — in sport
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — the season
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. land — a country
  8. court — of a king
  9. land — to come down
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. court — of law
  13. kick — in football
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. land — ground
  16. mark — a trace
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. season — of the year
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. court — for sport

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