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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. rule — a law
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. object — to protest
  6. object — an aim
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rule — government
  10. ground — a position
  11. bore — to tire
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. ground — the earth
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. bore — to drill
  19. cell — a phone
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. ground — crushed
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. cell — in biology
  24. rule — to rule out

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