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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: fine · bat · suit · saw · rock · hide · wound · rule

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. wound — an injury
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. suit — clothes
  7. rock — music
  8. suit — to fit
  9. fine — high quality
  10. bat — the animal
  11. fine — all right
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. rule — government
  15. saw — the tool
  16. suit — in cards
  17. rock — a stone
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rule — a law
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. bat — in an idiom

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