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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 116 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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. key — the most important part
  4. rule — a law
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bass — the fish
  7. row — a line
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bass — low music
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. row — to paddle
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. suit — clothes
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. key — for a lock
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fork — in a road
  19. suit — in cards
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. rule — government
  22. key — in music
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. suit — to fit

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