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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. chip — to eat
  6. rule — a law
  7. drill — a practice
  8. chip — for betting
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — a permit
  11. rule — government
  12. ball — a great time
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. mark — a trace
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. drill — army training
  19. drill — the tool
  20. ball — a dance
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. mark — a grade
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. branch — a division

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