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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. bear — the animal
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rule — government
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. file — a line of people
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — a division
  11. can — to be able to
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. file — a document
  14. ground — crushed
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rule — a law
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. can — a tin
  20. rock — music
  21. can — a tin
  22. ground — the earth
  23. file — a tool
  24. bear — the animal

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