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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — moving air
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. charge — a price
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. season — in sport
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. rest — a break
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. bark — to shout
  18. hand — help
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. rest — what's left
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. charge — electricity
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. season — of the year

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