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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 · rule · face · deal · kick · mug · mine · band

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. kick — in football
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. mine — for digging
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. face — to confront
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. face — to point toward
  11. mug — a face
  12. band — a ring
  13. deal — to handle
  14. rule — government
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. mug — a cup
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. band — a music group
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. face — part of the head

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