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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 120 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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. ground — crushed
  5. bound — tied together
  6. suit — in cards
  7. face — part of the head
  8. face — to point toward
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. kid — to tease
  11. ground — the earth
  12. face — to confront
  13. rule — a law
  14. ground — a position
  15. suit — clothes
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cue — a hint
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. suit — to fit
  20. bound — certain
  21. bound — obliged
  22. rule — government
  23. kid — child
  24. cue — a signal

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