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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: race · game · season · rule · cell · bore · scale · hide

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. game — wild animals
  3. season — of the year
  4. bore — to tire
  5. cell — a phone
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. race — a contest
  8. rule — government
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. season — in sport
  12. rule — a law
  13. scale — in music
  14. race — humankind
  15. race — the arms race
  16. game — a match
  17. bore — to drill
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. scale — size or range
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — to keep secret

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