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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. face — part of the head
  5. dip — to sink
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stand — to bear
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. rule — a law
  10. charge — in control
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. charge — a price
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. branch — a division
  15. rule — government
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. rash — hasty
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. rash — a series
  21. face — to point toward
  22. face — to confront
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. hide — animal skin

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