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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 · land · track · mark · date · wound · fine

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  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. wound — an injury
  3. track — a song
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. land — ground
  6. track — to keep track
  7. wound — an injury
  8. mark — a trace
  9. date — the fruit
  10. fine — all right
  11. rule — government
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. land — to come down
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. rule — a law
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mark — a grade
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fine — high quality
  22. track — a path
  23. land — a country
  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