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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rule — a law
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. spell — letters
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. spell — a short time
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rule — government
  11. stand — to bear
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. ball — a great time
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. ground — a position
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ball — a dance
  23. spell — magic
  24. stand — for spectators

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