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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 124 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: bat · hide · pass · rule · spell · race

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. rule — government
  4. bat — the animal
  5. rule — a law
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. pass — a permit
  8. spell — magic
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. race — the arms race
  14. spell — letters
  15. race — humankind
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. spell — a short time

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