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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. field — farmland
  5. wound — an injury
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. rule — government
  9. deal — to handle
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. suit — clothes
  12. suit — to fit
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rash — hasty
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. suit — in cards
  18. field — for sport
  19. field — a subject
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. rash — a series
  22. rule — a law
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. wound — an injury

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