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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. court — of law
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. spring — the season
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. saw — the tool
  8. track — a song
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. track — to keep track
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. court — of a king
  14. plane — a tool
  15. spring — of water
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rule — a law
  21. court — for sport
  22. spring — a coil
  23. track — a path
  24. rule — government

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