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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. chip — for betting
  11. chip — to eat
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. lie — to recline
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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