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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.

Make a worksheet

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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. 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. pitcher — a jug
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. charge — electricity
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. current — electric
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. current — of water
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. charge — a price
  14. current — happening now
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. charge — in control
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. 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