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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.

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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — a price
  3. cue — a signal
  4. rule — government
  5. spring — of water
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. cue — a hint
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. spring — the season
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. rule — a law
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. spring — a coil
  19. charge — in control
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mine — for digging
  22. cue — for pool
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. bear — the animal

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