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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. wind — moving air
  4. land — a country
  5. land — to come down
  6. drill — a practice
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. rule — government
  9. wind — moving air
  10. pound — a weight
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. drill — army training
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. drill — the tool
  17. rule — a law
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. land — ground
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. safe — out of danger

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