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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 120 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: rule · rest · net · fine · bowl · wound · cell · hide

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. net — after costs
  4. cell — in biology
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. wound — an injury
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. rule — a law
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. rest — a break
  16. net — in sport
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. cell — a phone
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — high quality
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. wound — an injury
  24. net — for catching

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