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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: capital · fan · rule · bear · ball · hide · mate · pass

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  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. hide — to keep secret
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. mate — a friend
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mate — to breed
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. rule — a law
  13. capital — a city
  14. capital — money
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ball — a great time
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. rule — government
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pass — a permit
  22. mate — a partner
  23. ball — a round shape
  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