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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. rule — government
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. pop — soda
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. bat — the animal
  10. rule — a law
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. pop — music
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — hurry
  21. pop — to visit
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. mouse — for a computer

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