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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.

Make a worksheet

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: hide · current · band · object · ball · bay · rule · mine

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. rule — a law
  3. current — electric
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. band — a ring
  8. band — a music group
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. object — to protest
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. mine — for digging
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a great time
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. object — a thing
  21. object — an aim
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. current — of water
  24. rule — government

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