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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. charge — electricity
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. charge — a price
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. face — to point toward
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. squash — to crush
  10. root — the cause
  11. root — of a word
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. charge — in control
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. wax — to grow
  19. face — part of the head
  20. face — to confront
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. root — of a plant
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. squash — the sport

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