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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. charge — electricity
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. land — ground
  6. current — electric
  7. drill — the tool
  8. rest — what's left
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. land — a country
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. charge — in control
  13. rest — a break
  14. drill — a practice
  15. charge — a price
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. current — of water
  18. rest — what's left
  19. current — happening now
  20. drill — army training
  21. stand — to bear
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. land — to come down
  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