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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 · ball · spring · firm · mate · stick · roll · hide

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. spring — of water
  4. firm — decided
  5. mate — a friend
  6. firm — a company
  7. rule — a law
  8. rule — government
  9. roll — a list
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. roll — a cake
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. ball — a dance
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. ball — a great time
  18. mate — to breed
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. spring — the season
  21. firm — steady
  22. mate — a partner
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. spring — a coil

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