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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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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: ruler · bay · hide · leaves · rule · wind · ground · ball

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. rule — government
  8. ground — a position
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. wind — moving air
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ground — crushed
  21. rule — a law
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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