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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 120 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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. rule — government
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. game — a match
  7. file — a tool
  8. rule — a law
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pass — a permit
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. file — a document
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stand — to bear
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. file — a line of people
  23. game — wild animals
  24. temple — side of the head

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