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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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. rush — hurry
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. race — the arms race
  7. mug — a cup
  8. board — a committee
  9. cold — not warm
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. rule — government
  12. mug — to rob
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. race — humankind
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. board — to get on
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. race — a contest
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. cold — an illness
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. rule — a law
  24. mug — a face

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