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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.

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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 · mark · bear · firm · ball · rule · land · cell

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. firm — decided
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. bear — the animal
  7. mark — a trace
  8. bear — the animal
  9. land — ground
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. cell — in biology
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. firm — a company
  15. ball — a dance
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. rule — a law
  18. land — to come down
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. rule — government
  21. ball — a great time
  22. cell — a phone
  23. land — a country
  24. firm — steady

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