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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 · rock · season · hand · mine · root · cap · hide

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. hand — help
  3. root — of a word
  4. cap — of ice
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. rock — music
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. cap — a lid
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. rule — a law
  12. hand — in cards
  13. root — of a plant
  14. mine — for digging
  15. root — the cause
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. season — in sport
  18. rule — government
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. season — of the year
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. cap — a hat
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. mine — belonging to me

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