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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
468
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: rule · track · saw · lash · hide · degree · can · leaves

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. rule — a law
  4. can — a tin
  5. degree — from a university
  6. track — to keep track
  7. rule — government
  8. track — a song
  9. saw — the tool
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. can — a tin
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. degree — an amount
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. degree — temperature
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. saw — the tool
  23. track — a path
  24. leaves — to go away

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