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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. saw — the tool
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. present — a gift
  6. court — of a king
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. board — to get on
  9. march — music
  10. saw — the tool
  11. rule — a law
  12. present — the time now
  13. court — of law
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. march — the month
  16. board — a committee
  17. cell — in biology
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. rule — government
  21. march — the month
  22. court — for sport
  23. present — there
  24. cell — a phone

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