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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: hide · safe · last · court · tear · rule · fan · spring

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. court — of a king
  3. last — final
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. court — for sport
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. rule — a law
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. last — finally
  11. court — of law
  12. spring — a coil
  13. spring — of water
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. tear — from crying
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. last — to go on
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. spring — the season
  21. tear — from crying
  22. rule — government
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — animal skin

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