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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. present — a gift
  6. rule — a law
  7. rock — music
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. board — a committee
  10. shower — to wash
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. shower — rain
  13. fork — in a road
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. present — the time now
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. board — to get on
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. present — there
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. rock — a stone
  24. fork — to eat with

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