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

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. ground — crushed
  3. rash — hasty
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. charge — electricity
  7. squash — the sport
  8. charge — a price
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. last — final
  12. squash — to crush
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. last — finally
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. charge — in control
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. ground — a position
  22. rash — a series
  23. ground — the earth
  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