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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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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. rule — a law
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. press — a publisher
  6. press — to push
  7. kid — to tease
  8. kid — child
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. press — newspapers
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. lie — to recline
  21. bat — the animal
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. stem — to come from
  24. hide — animal skin

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