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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. hand — in cards
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. march — music
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. season — in sport
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. rule — a law
  15. hand — help
  16. bass — the fish
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — the underground
  19. rule — government
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. mark — a trace
  23. march — the month
  24. march — the month

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