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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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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: date · rule · bulb · race · nail · chair · rock · hide

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rule — a law
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. rock — a stone
  7. chair — a leader
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — the fruit
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rock — music
  14. rule — government
  15. race — a contest
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bulb — for light
  18. race — the arms race
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. race — humankind

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