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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. mug — a cup
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. fork — in a road
  5. bound — tied together
  6. rash — a series
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. mug — a face
  9. rule — government
  10. rash — hasty
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. mug — to rob
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. degree — temperature
  15. degree — an amount
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bound — certain
  21. degree — from a university
  22. rule — a law
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. cabinet — ministers

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