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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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Word bank
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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. mug — a face
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. charge — electricity
  5. bank — of a river
  6. kick — in football
  7. race — a contest
  8. bank — for money
  9. file — a document
  10. charge — a price
  11. race — humankind
  12. bank — for money
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. mug — a cup
  16. mug — to rob
  17. rest — what's left
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. rest — what's left
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. race — the arms race
  22. file — a line of people
  23. charge — in control
  24. file — a tool

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