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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: racket · rule · wake · mine · hide · ruler

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. rule — government
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. rule — a law
  8. wake — a trail
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. mine — for digging
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. wake — before a funeral

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