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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 124 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. fine — all right
  5. chest — of your body
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. fine — high quality
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. rule — a law
  15. chest — a box
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. chest — of your body
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. rule — government

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