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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.

Make a worksheet

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: scale · hide · bay · object · rule · bowl · nail · row

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. rule — a law
  5. row — to paddle
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. object — to protest
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. scale — in music
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. scale — size or range
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. object — a thing
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. object — an aim
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. rule — government
  24. row — a line

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