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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. field — farmland
  6. row — to paddle
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. cap — of ice
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. field — for sport
  13. ball — a dance
  14. cap — a hat
  15. ball — a great time
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. field — a subject
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. cap — a lid
  23. rule — government
  24. row — a line

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