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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: rule · lie · rush · deal · last · hide · roll · band

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. last — finally
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. rule — a law
  9. deal — to handle
  10. roll — a list
  11. roll — a cake
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. last — to go on
  14. rule — government
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. band — a music group
  17. lie — to recline
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. band — a ring
  20. last — final
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. lie — an untruth

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