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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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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: hide · nail · wind · mouse · rule · stem · kick · race

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. stem — to come from
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — in football
  13. wind — moving air
  14. race — humankind
  15. wind — moving air
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. race — the arms race
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. rule — a law
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. rule — government
  24. race — a contest

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