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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. rule — a law
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. season — of the year
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. kid — to tease
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. mate — to breed
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. mate — a partner
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. kid — child
  23. season — in sport
  24. rule — government

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