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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.

Words on the sheet
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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. rest — what's left
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. can — to be able to
  8. rest — a break
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. clip — a video
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. clip — for paper
  15. pit — in a race
  16. snap — to click
  17. pit — a hole
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. rest — what's left
  20. clip — to cut
  21. rule — a law
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. rule — government
  24. leaves — lets stay

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