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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.

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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. rule — a law
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. swing — to play on
  8. mug — a face
  9. rest — a break
  10. bound — certain
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. rule — government
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bound — obliged
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. swing — in golf
  17. swing — music
  18. rush — hurry
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bound — tied together
  21. mug — a cup
  22. rest — what's left
  23. mug — to rob
  24. racket — for tennis

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