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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. fork — in a road
  3. season — in sport
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. snap — to click
  7. land — a country
  8. land — ground
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. land — to come down
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bank — for money
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. rule — government
  19. season — of the year
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bank — of a river
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. bank — for money
  24. rule — a law

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