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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: hide · rule · tear · vault · wave · press · spell · season

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  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. rule — to rule out
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. tear — from crying
  4. spell — letters
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. spell — a short time
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. season — of the year
  9. tear — to rip
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. season — in sport
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. vault — a safe
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — to push
  18. rule — government
  19. tear — from crying
  20. rule — a law
  21. spell — magic
  22. press — newspapers
  23. wave — with your hand
  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