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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: hide · ground · toast · rule · band · object · mouse · fan

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. object — to protest
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. band — a ring
  9. ground — the earth
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. rule — government
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. ground — crushed
  15. object — a thing
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. toast — bread
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. rule — a law
  20. ground — a position
  21. band — a music group
  22. object — an aim
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. rule — to rule out

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