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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. mate — a partner
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. current — happening now
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. land — to come down
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. mate — a friend
  14. current — electric
  15. land — ground
  16. current — of water
  17. pit — in a race
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. mate — to breed
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. land — a country
  24. pit — a hole

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