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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. rule — a law
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. face — to confront
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. season — of the year
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. face — part of the head
  10. court — of a king
  11. face — to point toward
  12. bulb — for light
  13. court — for sport
  14. saw — the tool
  15. season — in sport
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rule — government
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. saw — the tool
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bulb — for light
  23. court — of law
  24. rule — to rule out

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