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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  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. saw — past of 'see'
  2. hand — help
  3. rule — government
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. bound — obliged
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. march — music
  10. bound — certain
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bound — tied together
  14. march — the month
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rule — a law
  17. saw — the tool
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — the season
  20. fall — to drop
  21. saw — the tool
  22. march — the month
  23. racket — for tennis
  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