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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 116 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: mark · cabinet · fork · hide · swing · rule · wound · spring

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. spring — of water
  7. spring — a coil
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — a trace
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. swing — in golf
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. spring — the season
  14. rule — a law
  15. swing — to play on
  16. wound — an injury
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. swing — music
  19. wound — an injury
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. rule — government
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fork — in a road

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