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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 120 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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. charge — in control
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. charge — electricity
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. kid — child
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mark — a trace
  11. bear — the animal
  12. root — the cause
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. root — of a word
  15. charge — a price
  16. can — to be able to
  17. can — a tin
  18. chip — for betting
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. root — of a plant
  21. can — a tin
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. chip — to eat
  24. bear — to put up with

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