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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bound — obliged
  4. stem — to come from
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. rule — government
  7. charge — a price
  8. track — a song
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. last — finally
  11. track — a path
  12. charge — electricity
  13. bound — certain
  14. last — final
  15. charge — in control
  16. ball — a dance
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. bound — tied together
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. rule — a law
  22. last — to go on
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. track — to keep track

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